Free Agent Story - Carl Camden

Carl T. Camden is president and chief executive officer of Kelly Services, Inc., a world leader in human resources solutions. He also serves on the company's board of directors. Kelly is a Fortune 500 company  headquartered in Troy, Michigan.

Before Carl became CEO of a Fortune 500 company, he explored different jobs before settling in with Kelly.

I never thought I would end up here…and certainly my “career path” has been different than many of my contemporaries. When I was growing up most people chose a career and stuck to it, whether they liked it or not. Not me. I was a professor for a short time and I have a divinity degree. I also worked in marketing and owned my own business. I found jobs that were interesting to me; they filled my need to have diverse experiences and learn new skills. Each opportunity led me to my next opportunity.

Carl’s first job at Kelly Services was Senior Vice President for Corporate Marketing. It’s a role that was the right fit at the right time.

I didn’t know a lot about the staffing industry when Kelly hired me. I had been running the corporate marketing department for a large bank holding company. Before that I ran an advertising agency. I developed many skills along the way – managing budgets, mentoring people and my in-depth knowledge of how to market services – that were seen as highly valuable by Kelly. It was an exciting opportunity for me.

After joining Kelly, Carl realized that many younger workers were choosing a Free Agent approach to work instead of a more traditional career path.

One employee I met worked for Kelly 10 months a year, and then he took off every summer to tour with his band. We’ve always found him a new position when he came back in September. Another Kelly temporary employee worked on more than 15 assignments over the course of 8+ years and doubled his salary and responsibility in the process. Most importantly, he’s never gotten bored. It made me realize Kelly could do more than help people set up interviews, polish their resumes and successfully land jobs. We could help people achieve their dreams – personally and professionally.

Carl enjoys watching people’s dreams grow. He says it is one of the best jobs in the world and that’s why he knew Kelly was a place he wanted to stay for a while.

I went to a small college in Missouri. I figured I would be a professor and work in a university setting. Once I started trying different jobs, I realized I could broaden my skill set while enjoying different experiences. I honestly thought I would be at Kelly for five years and then move on. Now as the president and CEO of Kelly, I get to help other people discover their life’s passions, just like I did. That’s a good feeling.