Topic: PEO PROFILES

Looking ahead, the Sequoia One team sees plenty of opportunity on the horizon. The reality is that no matter how advanced or sophisticated technology becomes, there will always be a need for a human component.

Michelle Wightman’s journey into the PEO industry wasn’t one she planned, but looking back, it feels inevitable. Growing up, she had a front-row seat to her father’s fearless entrepreneurial ventures— who started businesses ranging from real estate to construction and even a premier deer processing plant in Alabama. Watching him navigate both successes and setbacks, she absorbed a natural instinct for building something from the ground up.

When Jay King told his leadership team to read Gino Wickman’s Traction he knew Wickman’s business operating philosophy would change his company. But he likely did not anticipate it would set in motion what he admits has always been his dream: seeing his son, Carson King, succeed him as CEO.

In January, Carson will do just that.

Traction tells the story of a business adopting Wickman’s Entrepreneurial Operating System or EOS. Six components of a business feed into the EOS model: vision, people, data, issues, process and traction. To put simply, if a business aligns the first five components, then the business experiences traction or the forward movement towards goals and success.

Driven by an ambitious goal to reach 10,000 worksite employees (WSEs), the Simploy team embraces the EOS model to create manageable, incremental goals all leading towards the main milestone. Each step builds upon itself and progress and success are carefully measured along the way.

Jay King has led St. Louis, Missouri-based Simploy for 20 years, but 2025 marks the beginning of a new chapter in the company’s history. The forthcoming leadership transition has been intentional and thoughtful, all part of a process to accelerate Simploy’s growth and drive to reach new milestones.

The leadership transition will propel the company forward, but the legacy that Jay King built remains the foundation.

EARLY DAYS

In 1998, Jay King started a staffing company which first gave him insight into the world of HR. He had workers in several states and quickly realized the HR burden was too much to handle on his own.

“In 2000, I learned about PEOs from a radio commercial,” Jay recalls, “I called the company and we had an initial meeting that went really well. I thought the price they quoted me was a good deal and was ready to move ahead.”

His wife and business partner Sharon thought they should first explore alternatives, however. That’s when Jay learned—through the Yellow Pages no less—about the Varsity Group, a small PEO based near St. Louis.

David Avakian led the Varsity Group and responded to Jay’s inquiry by meeting him personally. The high-touch service made a lasting impression and would ultimately change Jay’s life. Jay’s staffing company signed on with the Varsity Group for PEO services, and Jay and David soon became personal friends.

A few years later, an unexpected phone call set off a fury of activity.

“David called me on April 13, 2004, and said he was going out of business, but my account would be transferred to another PEO based in Florida,” Jay says.

Jay had known about some business issues David was dealing with, but did not foresee the business shutting its doors. He tried to be a good friend and help David process and evaluate all his options.

“I asked if another company were to buy his PEO and operate the business if that would help save his company,” Jay explains.

David thought this would be a feasible solution. So, Jay asked if he could buy the PEO.

“He took a long pause and, with no confidence at all, said yes,” Jay laughs.

With a renewed sense of hope and optimism, Jay and David got to work coming to an agreement for Jay to buy the Varsity Group. Data and financial reports flew back and forth, and Jay tried to perform as much due diligence as possible. He noticed the business was cash flow positive, so he felt some level of comfort despite the many unknowns about operating a PEO.

Within a few days, a new PEO division had been created and the entity was registered in the necessary jurisdictions. Client accounts were moved over with new agreements, and somehow, miraculously, Jay ran his first payroll on April 28, just 12 days after the deal closed!

The accelerated and chaotic timetable was tough, but financing and insurance coverage quickly became hurdles, too. Any entrepreneur knows how difficult it can be to secure enough funding to purchase or start a business. There’s a reason why the word means risk taker in French.

“I knew the deal made sense, but I had to come up with a lot of money. I learned quickly that banks don’t lend on cash flow, so I borrowed heavily against my 401(k), signed up for credit cards for cash advances, and took out an SBA loan,” Jay says.

When the insurance company Jay’s staffing company used found out he had entered the PEO business, the company non-renewed all his lines of insurance. Luckily, Jay managed to connect with a broker who understood PEOs. Assurance helped Jay secure business lines of insurance, while Jennifer Robinson worked a miracle to secure a workers’ compensation policy that was underwritten, bound and in effect in 15 days.

Despite those challenges, Jay benefited from acquiring an established book of business with loyal clients. The company’s sound infrastructure meant Jay did not need to set up operating and software systems, nor did he have to hire and train a staff.

“To this day, I don’t know how we did it,” Jay says, “it was a miracle.”

FROM VARSITY GROUP TO SIMPLOY

Not long after acquiring the Varsity Group, the team decided to re-brand the new company as Simploy. Jay continued to focus on his staffing business while running the PEO. The economic downturn and recession in 2008 crippled the construction industry which decimated the staffing company as the company did a lot of business in that industry. This forced Jay to turn his full attention to the PEO business. He learned more about the intricacies of the industry and began networking with other operators. The business began to grow as new clients came on board.

Simploy has always prided itself on offering a high-touch level of service to its clients. Crossing the 1,000 WSE threshold signified a milestone and recognition of the company’s successful approach and philosophy. The 2,000 WSE milestone followed, and growth really accelerated.

The internal team grew, too, from the original three-person team Jay inherited to more than 20 now. The team is a tight-knit group that’s committed to the company’s vision and long-term success. It’s a blend of industry veterans with deep knowledge and newer members. Of course, one of those newer members is Carson King, who joined the company full time a few years ago after graduating college, however, he’s been around the business his whole life.

“I can remember being 6 or 7 and my dad would pay me a dime to take out the office trash,” Carson recalls.

That may not be the most formative experience and training for a CEO, but it represents a broader point: he’s been involved with every facet of the company from summer jobs during high school to working while in college and now on the leadership team.

“It’s really endeared him [Carson] to the staff,” Jay says, “they’ve seen him always willing to help and work his way up.”

That said, even though Carson had spent a great deal of time around the company growing up, joining the business full-time was no sure thing. It was always a possibility—and something Jay wished would happen—but not set in stone.

“I golfed in college, and there was a point where I wanted to see if a career in professional golf was possible,” Carson says.

Ultimately, he decided to join Simploy. He enjoys the challenge and opportunities the PEO industry brings and has made it a point to work in many different areas to set a good foundation.

From payroll, to onboarding to even risk management, Carson has been involved.

PROJECT 10K

Simploy’s implementation of EOS two years ago sparked a business growth and transformation drive that hopefully culminates in reaching 10,000 WSEs. Internally, this goal is known as Project 10K.

The team relies on the EOS framework to simplify and clarify this vision. Leaders are aligned with the rest of the workforce and an emphasis is placed on accountability and measuring results. EOS replaces the traditional corporate organization chart with an accountability chart. There are no titles, just roles and responsibilities. The visionary sits on the top, bearing ultimate responsibility for articulating vision, forging relationships and developing goals. The integrator sits just below the visionary with responsibility for developing and executing the steps and processes to achieve the vision.

“It’s powerful in its simplicity and practicality,” Carson explains, “growth has accelerated since we’ve implemented it.”

“Things are better than they have ever been,” Jay adds.

That said, growth for growth’s sake is not part of the plan. The Simploy team remains proud of and committed to offering the high level of quality service their clients have come to expect.

“We can’t just offer standard solutions, we have to understand each client’s challenges and goals to tailor our services,” Carson explains, “That sets us apart a bit and it’s a legacy from the culture Jay built.”

Growing and scaling without losing a company’s core identity and culture is no easy task, but one the Simploy team is committed to. If anything, they see growth as a chance to elevate their level of service and increase their impact on the community.

The team is especially proud of the company’s net promoter score that consistently ranks around 90, near the top for all PEOs in the country. It’s a reflection of the service quality Simploy provides and how integral their clients see Simploy’s resources and expertise to their success.

“The best clients are the ones who truly want a partner,” Carson says, “we see our team as an extension of their teams.”

Everything seems to be moving in the right direction. The St. Louis area has grown quite a bit in recent years, offering new channels and opportunities for growth. 2023 was a record sales year for Simploy, and 2024 is on track to be so again.

This success is thanks in large part to the incredible team of professionals at Simploy. The St. Louis Business Journal awarded the 2023 Best Place to Work Award to Simploy, an achievement Jay and Carson are very proud of. Office culture is no longer an afterthought for employers. Creating a positive, enjoyable workplace matters to employees and contributes to increased engagement and ultimately higher client satisfaction.

“Our core values of proactive positivity, radical collaboration, dependability and a relentless drive to excel shape all we do. We have a team first mindset that informs how we work and approach opportunities to enrich the lives of those we serve,” Carson says.

“You learn quickly that your employees keep you in business, a lot of issues go away when you have that mindset,” Jay adds.

This increased focus on office culture stems from broader trends reshaping the workforce as younger generations make up a greater share of workers. Flexibility, transparency and purpose-driven careers are desired traits. Expectations from employers have changed among employees with calls for remote work options and enhanced benefits. PEOs have a role to play in helping clients adapt to this new world of work.

In some ways, the PEO industry is a microcosm for the entire workforce. Many PEO founders and veterans have—or soon will—exit the industry. New and younger PEO operators are entering their roles with new ideas, perspectives and experiences. This is certainly true at Simploy as the team prepares for the final stages of the leadership transition.

That said, it’s clear Carson and his team have a solid foundation and 20-year legacy to stand on. He’s prepared for the leadership role by learning as much as possible through trainings, leadership development courses and networking with fellow PEO operators.

It’s also clear that Jay has total and complete confidence this is the right decision. As he reflects back on his career, he’s appreciative and grateful for Simploy’s success and how it’s allowed him to support his family and his employees.

“I enjoyed having a good business that allowed me to treat it as a lifestyle business, but the team certainly does not have a lifestyle business mentality,” Jay says, “They’re leaving me in the dust. The next chapter is theirs to write.”

“There’s really nothing I’ve ever done that’s more rewarding than to have Carson take over something that’s been so integral to our lives,” Jay adds.

This September, six new PEO industry leaders joined NAPEO’s Board of Directors. They spoke with PEO Insider to share a little about their backgrounds, why serving on the Board is important to them, and to share their advice for other members looking to get involved.

Through the company’s paid volunteering policy, the ALTRES ‘ohana — Hawaiian for family — has logged more than 650 volunteering hours with 75 local nonprofits over the past five years.

A few weeks ago, nearly 1,000 industry members gathered in Orlando for our 2024 Annual Conference and Marketplace. We celebrated NAPEO’s 40th anniversary and welcomed new association leadership. David Feinberg, Justworks’ senior vice president of risk and insurance programs, officially took the reins as NAPEO’s new Board of Directors Chair. He’s been active within NAPEO for several years, participating on numerous committees. ​​​​He most recently served as vice chair. Feinberg joined the PEO industry after a career on Wall Street as an equity research analyst. He also worked to build national, small group health plans as the Executive Vice President of Health Plan at WellNet before joining Justworks in 2015.

He spoke with PEO Insider ® about his background, plans for the year and why his first impression of PEOs turned out to be wrong.

PEO Insider ®: How did you first learn about PEOs?

David Feinberg: In 2005 I worked as an equity research analyst for Goldman Sachs, and I was assigned to cover HR stocks. I keyed in on temporary staffing companies, and when I prepared to put out a report, my supervisor thought we needed more companies in the analysis. I mentioned that I had found two other companies that were sort of like staffing companies but called PEOs. He told me throw them in, so we added them to the report. I thought they were confusing and bad businesses, basically insurance arbitrage businesses. That was my first exposure to PEOs.

PI: How did you end up working for a PEO?

DF: After 10 years behind an Excel spreadsheet telling people how to run a business, I realized I wanted to be a part of the operational side of a business. I got my MBA and then had an opportunity to build a small group self-funded health plan which I did for a few years.

While looking for my next opportunity, I met a network connection who set up a meeting with a venture capital firm. The person I met with told me the firm had invested in PEOs. My reaction was to say, ​​“it’s just an arbitrage play.” He told me that I had to meet Isaac [Isaac Oates, Justworks’ founder]. By June of 2015 I had a job offer to join Justworks.

PI: What had changed? Why were you interested in working for Justworks?

DF: I found Isaac to be an incredibly thoughtful person. Three things about Justworks stood out to me that made the company unique compared to other PEOs. First, I thought the company had a modern go-to-market strategy. Second, Justworks owned its own technology. Third, it was a mission and values-driven company.

​​​PI: What are Justworks’ core principles?

DF: Justworks’ mission is to help entrepreneurs and businesses grow with confidence. If you talked with 100 of my teammates, you would sense an incredible alignment to this mission. Many people at Justworks have had a small business owner in their family or previously had their own small business, and they see how challenging and honorable small business ownership is. It gives us a visceral drive to help our customers, and we aspire to be the partner that they have always needed and deserved but never before had access to. Justworks is committed to being this true partner where we believe the market needs are greatest, which is among companies with under 100 employees.

PI: How did you get involved with NAPEO?

DF: In September of 2015, I attended my first NAPEO conference, and it changed my point of view on the entire industry. I learned we paid a large sum in member dues, but we were not engaged with NAPEO. That seemed silly to me, and I thought someone should go to evaluate the ROI. I realized we were not taking advantage of our membership and underutilizing the education resources. I met people like Dale Hageman, Bob Cerone, Barron Guss and Andy Lubash. They were all incredibly generous in helping me learn about the industry and sharing their knowledge. I realized that the PEO industry is unique in that, yes we are competitors, but we also rely on each other to do the right thing in terms of compliance for ourselves and our customers.

In a startup there’s your job description and then there’s your job. I saw white space where we had an opportunity to have someone engage at the leadership level with NAPEO. I took on that role and eventually joined the board and executive committee.

PI: How do you see your role as chair of the board?

DF: My role is role to support the NAPEO staff. Our biggest deliverable next year is our new strategic plan, but I’m focused on supporting the staff to make your jobs easier.

PI: What are your goals for the year?

DF: There are three things I’d like to achieve this year. First, let’s end the ERTC saga and get money in the hands of our customers. Second, I want to see increased participation with NAPEO’s PAC. The PAC is one of our top tools to engage with policymakers and achieve our advocacy goals. We need to increase participation throughout all levels of our members. Third, I’d like to see more participation with programs like Next Gen and WIN (Women in NAPEO). We need a more diverse talent pool to lead the industry going forward.

PI: Do you have ideas for any new initiatives or programs?

DF: No new initiatives. We have a lot of good things in flight with different levels of maturity. We don’t need more, we need to continue investing in what’s already there. I want to focus on improving our existing resources to make them even better.

​​​PI: How do you think the industry will evolve?

DF: The only constant is increased regulation and complexity. Even though there are more tools and resources available, it’s becoming harder to start a PEO. Many of the new entrants now are well-funded players leveraging the model as opposed to traditional start-ups. Consolidation will also continue playing a role, but I’m not concerned about PEOs going away. The industry has seen different eras from its infancy to the workers’ comp. focus of the 1990s to the health insurance focus of the 2010s. I think we’re entering a new era now that’s focused more on HR and remote work. The business of how and where people work is where a lot of PEOs are focused, and we provide incredible value to our customers in this area.

​​​PI: What’s life like outside of work and PEO?

DF: There’s a lot of demands at the office, so my main focus outside of work is the Feinberg family. I’m also a diehard Duke and New York sports fan (Yankees, Giants and Rangers).

40 years ago this November, a small group of industry pioneers forged a new path that all of us would follow. The group voted to establish the National Staff Leasing Association to protect, support and grow their businesses. None knew for sure what the future would bring, but they took the risk.

If you’re in the PEO industry, you know there is no greater honor than winning the Michaeline A. Doyle Award.

Created in 1995, it’s an accolade bestowed upon someone who has provided exemplary leadership and service to NAPEO and our industry and whose business philosophy is to improve the industry while simultaneously improving his or her own PEO.

But if you do any digging on the award namesake, little appears.

There’s good reason to not find much about Michaeline. As anyone who knew her would tell you, she thrived working behind the scenes. The spotlight was not for her.

Still, she couldn’t shake a legacy that has made her name synonymous with dedication to the PEO industry — especially in the Midwest.

Born in September 1941 to Michael Colangelo and Londa Powell, Michaeline was raised in the suburbs of Chicago with her siblings, Richard, Robert, and Lenora. Archives from the May 3, 1959, issue of the Chicago Tribune tell you that Doyle was a student librarian president, honor student, and the winner of an Illinois state scholarship to Loyola University.

Mission-driven, she went on to operate her own employee leasing company alongside early female industry pioneers like Fran Morrissey, the co-owner of Rockford, Illinois-based Morrissey Family Businesses.

Morrissey first met Doyle in the mid-1980s. They quickly bonded over both having small businesses from outside of Chicago and the desire to organize an industry dealing with pension issues, some bad actors, and federal and state government bodies that weren’t keen on PEO growth.

Employee leasing companies faced an uphill battle of acceptance in the Midwest during this time and were frequently challenged by the IRS, state insurance commissioners, and unemployment agencies. The Department of Labor “laughed” at Morrissey when she educated officials on the PEO model.

“We hit roadblocks everywhere we turned,” Morrissey said.

The National Staff Leasing Association (NSLA), later to become NAPEO, at the time had roughly 50-60 members with a heavy concentration of them from Florida, Texas, or California. Annual meetings would be held in one of those three states, which posed a challenge to the many smaller, entrepreneur-led PEOs from the Midwest. With no investors and a lack of accessible capital, many couldn’t afford to make the trip to the annual convention. Communication and PEO owner engagement was fragmented. Doyle talked with Morrissey about the need to have chapter and regional meetings with startups and fellow smaller companies.

Before Morrissey could blink, Doyle had single-handedly gathered everything she could find relative to bylaws and established a prototype for state and regional chapters. This chapter system became the basis for the NAPEO of today.

“She just did it,” Morrissey said. “It definitely took a lot of her time. She cared about the industry and wanted to see NAPEO grow to what it deserved to be. And she wanted it done right.”

Doyle phoned AccessPoint CEO Greg Packer and said she needed him and Dick Light of Vincam Group —an industry competitor but also a friend of Packer’s— to meet in Chicago the following weekend. Short notice, but it was important: she had organized the inaugural meeting of the NSLA’s Midwest chapter. She’d get the two of them early in the morning from O’Hare International Airport and have them out by the end of the day.

“She pulls up in this gangster-looking car puffing away at a cigarette in a cloud of smoke,” Packer said. “I said to myself, ‘God, I don’t want to sit in the car with this gal.’”

It’s a good thing he did.

True to her no-nonsense, blunt personality, she quickly outlined a vision for a six-state Midwest chapter that included Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Unbeknownst to them, Packer and Light were already assigned to the new chapter’s board as its Michigan delegates before they even stepped foot in the car. Florida-based Vincam Group didn’t even have a Michigan presence, but Doyle quickly persuaded Light to open an office in the Wolverine State.

With Doyle as the first chair, the Midwest chapter was a well-oiled machine. Information flowed freely, members were engaged, and the group of 10-12 met several times a year for formal meetings. While other chapters faced financial hardships and organizational hurdles, Doyle’s chapter thrived.

“Our chapter functioned well because Michaeline set the tone early,” Packer said. “She was the biggest cheerleader of our industry and a champion of us against the world. Michaeline was a tireless worker behind the scenes.”

Doyle never had aspirations of becoming the president of the NSLA, though she reluctantly served on the board for two years. And in meetings with legislators and regulators, she didn’t want to lead the discussions. She wanted to make sure the chapter had the best spokesperson do the talking. Her job was to pull the strings to make the meetings happen and better spread awareness and acceptance of the PEO industry. She embraced the gritty, often thankless work that served as the foundation for industry expansion and unification.

“If we met as a group and something needed to be done, Michaeline did it,” Morrissey said. “She talked to anyone. She went above and beyond.”

But as fate would have it, Doyle died of cancer in April 1993 at just 51 years old, shortly after an industry gathering in Orlando. It was a blow to lose someone who cared deeply about uniting competitors for the greater good of the industry. But her legacy would not be lost.

Morrissey led a group that included Packer to create the Michaeline A. Doyle Award to recognize industry members who possess a workhorse spirit like its namesake did. Nearly 30 years later, Doyle’s impact still resonates with the most recent winner of the award, Propel HR President Lee Yarborough.

“Although I never knew Michaeline, I like to think she would be proud of our industry and how her early influence created space for today’s female PEO leaders,” Yarborough said. “She left a lasting legacy on the PEO industry through her advocacy, leadership, and influence in our space.”

Even though Doyle likely wouldn’t be thrilled with a multi-page magazine article written about her legacy, Morrissey said it is important to recognize her contributions and selfless efforts to help create the landscape we operate in today. Though some industry challenges remain, they pale in comparison to what they once were.

“She was an icon for us to do the best we could for our industry,” Morrissey said. “She forever spent her time helping people and doing what needed to be done. She truly made such a difference”

Dave Lawrence grew up insisting he would never join the family business. He wasn’t interested. It wasn’t for him. After graduating from college with an economics and business degree, he found a sales job with a Connecticut-based company. The company sold awards programs, and Dave ran the Gulf South region out of his native New Orleans. Not much later, Dave and his wife Teresa married. The young couple both had solid, good paying sales jobs they each loved. Life was on the right track.

Educating and empowering the future workforce is a cause that’s become something of a second full-time job for Britt Landrum III, LandrumHR’s president and CEO. Staying true to the company’s core values of “learn, share, and grow,” Landrum has instituted a culture of charitable giving to provide the next generation the tools they need to live healthy and professionally fulfilling lives.

Over the last 35 years, Nelson’s company has grown and evolved quite a bit—night and day as she describes it. Perhaps it’s one reason she’s remained successful through so many different economic and business cycles. She’s assembled a strong team of professionals who she relies on and considers the true force behind her success.

Over the years, the PEO industry has evolved quite a bit. From the industry’s early days focused on workers’ comp. and payroll, to the complex, sophisticated HR services of today, the core value proposition of the PEO has endured, however.

Frank W. Crum, Jr. has seen and experienced quite a bit over his business career; he’s learned many lessons and met many people. He’s a humble man who eschews the spotlight, preferring to heap praise on others. The hard work, dedication, intelligence, and passion of his employees has led to his success, he says. Over the last 40 years or so, Frank has quietly helped pioneer the PEO industry. Today his company employs about 500 people and serves clients in nearly every state.

As the second-sunniest city in the U.S., it may seem hard to make Redding, California, even brighter. But O2 Employment Services has found a way. What sets Give Redding apart is that O2 has taken it upon itself to rally participation from all across the local business community to elevate the drive to greater heights.

In December, Casey Clark officially joined the NAPEO team as the association’s new president and CEO. He brings 25 years of experience to the role with a background in strategy and communication consulting and association management. He spoke with PEO Insider ® about his past experiences, lessons he has learned, and what excites him about the PEO industry.

For NEMR Total HR, volunteering has created a stronger South Jersey community — and a stronger team. Giving back at the local level is a cause personal to NEMR Total HR President Steve Sweeney, who grew up within earshot of the company’s Marlton headquarters and is a lifelong resident of the greater Philadelphia area.

In the end, I know that it’s much more important to Pat to have left his mark on the world by being a good person rather than by being a good CEO. Lucky for us, he’s been both.  

Not long after co-founding OMS Group in 1997, Partner Bob Cleghorn decided that giving back during the holiday season would be a key component of the Florida PEO.

Steve Politis officially took the reins as NAPEO’s new Board of Directors Chair in October. The CEO of Alcott HR, Politis brings 25 years of PEO and leadership experience to the role. He’s excited to pursue new goals and initiatives for this year.