Staffing 100 Europe | Hall of Fame | 2020
In 1964, industry pioneer Philippe Foriel-Destezet founded Ecco, which by the 1980s had become France’s largest supplier of temporary personnel. In 1996, Foriel-Destezet merged the firm with Switzerland-based global giant Adia to form Adecco, which today is the second-largest staffing firm in the world, providing temporary staffing, permanent placement and outsourcing across all sectors. Foriel-Destezet served as co-chair with Adia’s Klaus Jacobs until stepping down in in 2005; he was named honorary president in 2006. Foriel-Destezet is a graduate of the prestigious HEC business school in Paris. He remains a significant shareholder in Adecco through his Luxembourg holding company, Akila Finance.
