CEO
QPS Employment Group | Brookfield
Ryan Festerling is chief executive officer at QPS Employment Group, a Brookfield-based staffing agency with 54 locations across the Midwest. The firm has 335 internal employees, employs more than 6,000 associate employees weekly and works with more than 1,500 companies. Prior to joining QPS in 2019, Festerling was executive vice president of human resources at Kohl’s Corp., where he was responsible for leading the people functions for 130,000 employees and 1,150 locations across the country. Locally, he serves on the boards of directors at Wisconsin Lutheran High School and the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation.
Education: Bachelor’s, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Highlights from the past 12 months: “The successful transition from being a founder-led company into a 100% employee-owned company.”
What would you do if you could choose another career: “Outside of work, I enjoy building and fixing things. I especially like building homes, so if I could choose another path, I would build homes and develop properties.”
Your secret talent: “I have a large yard and enjoy using a commercial zero-turn mower, and making great lines in my grass is very important to me. And while I am sure I am not better than average at it, I truly believe that I am.”
Traits you seek for new hires: “I love to identify folks that can be transparent and vulnerable while also being able to drive confidence with themselves and their teams.”
