Staffing 100 Europe | Hall of Fame | 2020
Martin Pestalozzi was recruited into the staffing industry by Adia founder Henri-Ferdinand Lavanchy to help lead the company in 1974. Pestalozzi became president and CEO in 1979. During his tenure, Adia purchased more than 85 companies, tripling its size and operating in more than a dozen countries. It reached $1 billion in 1986, claiming the largest share of the market in Switzerland, France and Germany. In 1996, Adia and Ecco — two of the world’s top three personnel services firms — merged to form Adecco. Prior to Adia, Pestalozzi had several years’ experience at US-based consumer services and manufacturing businesses.
