Leadership
Get to know the QPS family.
Executives
Scott A. Mayer
Founder & Executive Chair of the Board
Category: Executive, Founder, Website Display
Scott A. Mayer, Executive Chair of the Board, launched QPS Employment Group in 1985 from a one-room office in the Milwaukee suburb of Hales Corners. Under Scott's leadership, QPS has grown from one office and two employees to 50+ branches across nine states. With an internal staff of over 300 and an Associate Employee roster that numbers in the thousands, QPS is today one of the largest independently owned staffing firms in the region.
Scott is a past President of the Wisconsin Association of Staffing Services and is a Board Member of both the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.
… Read MoreRyan Festerling
President & Chief Executive Officer
Category: Executive, Website Display
Hired in June 2019, Ryan serves as President & Chief Executive Officer for QPS.
Ryan has over 20 years of experience from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based Kohl’s Department Store where he held various leadership roles rising to the position of executive vice president and head of human resources.
Ryan has a track record of utilizing technology to enhance the candidate experience while improving overall efficiencies. He has a drive for building cohesive teams and individuals that are passionate about the work they do. Finally, he loves to use compelling data to tell stories on how to create an engaged workforce for leaders across industries.
Ryan earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.
Ryan lives in Pewaukee, Wisconsin with his wife, two daughters and a yellow lab named "Lucy" that only listens sometimes. He enjoys doing just about anything outside as well as being a proud "dance dad."
… Read MoreKeith Jochims
Chief Financial Officer
Category: Executive, Website Display
Hired in 2018, Keith Jochims came to QPS with over 20 years of financial and accounting experience. Prior to joining QPS, Keith was the chief financial officer with Encore Repair in East Dundee, IL which specialized in the remanufacturing of electronics. Prior to Encore, Keith held leadership roles at Jason Industries, GE Healthcare, and Dynatect Manufacturing, and started his career with Ernst & Young in the audit and business advisory services practice.
"As a financial leader, I’m passionate about thoroughly understanding our business and industry to help our company and employees achieve both their professional and personal goals.”
Keith is a CPA and a member of both the American and Wisconsin Institutes of Certified Public Accountants. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Keith is married with 3 children, has a dog named Josie and lives in Muskego. In his free time, he enjoys spending time outdoors and cheering on his children in their respective sports.
Jeri Meyers
Executive Vice President of Sales
Category: Executive, Website Display
In nearly three decades with QPS, Jeri’s natural ability to build lasting and trusting relationships has allowed her to rise from a sales representative to Executive Vice President of Sales. She’s been involved in every aspect of QPS’ book of business since starting in 1996. She has made a positive impact not just on QPS and her clients, but on the lives of the people she’s helped place while starting and growing QPS’ Professional division.
A graduate of University of Wisconsin - Madison, Jeri serves on the board of ROW - Recruiters of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Association of Staffing Services. In addition, she is a member of the Visus Group.
Jeri, along with her husband Marty, spend their spare time fishing, camping, gardening, and hanging out with their 5 children. She also has two dogs that love to take her for a walk.
… Read MoreLisa Cooney
Executive Vice President of Field Operations
Category: Executive, Website Display
Lisa Cooney is executive vice president of field operations and oversees operations in all of QPS’ 50+ locations.
Lisa has over 25 years of experience in the staffing industry, starting her staffing career in a sales representative role for Spherion. Over the years, she has accepted roles with increased responsibility having experienced both operations and sales responsibilities before leaving the company in 2005.
Lisa then joined EmployBridge as Regional President for the South-Central Region and most recently served in a senior vice president role, Sales Excellence.
She currently serves on the American Staffing Association's Women in Leadership Council.
Lisa and her husband Dennis love to cook, travel, kayak and most of all, hike around Austin, Texas with their lab, Eli.
… Read MoreDawn Simmerman
Executive Vice President of Human Resources
Category: Executive, Website Display
Dawn joined the QPS team in December of 2021 and is our Executive Vice President of Human Resources. A dynamic and experienced HR executive with over 15 years of experience in the field, Dawn has dedicated her career to creating positive employee experiences and driving organizational success through effective human resources strategies.
Outside of work, Dawn enjoys all things outdoors especially 4 wheeling with her teenage son. Her family is also very active in animal rescue.
… Read MoreLeadership
Kelly Ramirez
Vice President of Shared Services & Business Segment Finance
Category: Leadership, Website Display
Since beginning her staffing career as a Placement Coordinator at QPS’ Milwaukee location, Kelly has steadily progressed her career in operational roles including that of Regional Vice President of Wisconsin branches.
As Vice President of Shared Services & Business Segment Finance, Kelly leads the Shared Services and Accounting Teams. Known for her ability to take ideas from inception to execution, by her process-driven, scalable, and collaborative approach, she has been instrumental in supporting the development of our virtual recruiting teams, our growth playbook, and is highly involved in the overall strategic growth plan at QPS.
Kelly enjoys spending time working out, camping with her entire family, watching her daughter compete in gymnastics and soccer, and taking hikes with her rescue dog, Winter.
… Read MoreJen Wilken
Vice President of Strategic Technology
Category: Leadership, Website Display
Jen Wilken has over 20 years of experience in the staffing industry. As Vice President of Strategic Technology, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise in aligning technology solutions with business goals, ensuring efficient operations, and driving innovation.
Throughout her career at QPS, Jen has successfully led cross-functional teams, fostering collaboration and maximizing productivity. Jen has exceptional leadership skills, coupled with her ability to effectively communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
With her strategic mindset and commitment to continuous improvement, Jen has played a pivotal role in driving digital transformation initiatives as QPS continues to invest in their technology stack.
Jen has her bachelor’s degree from Miami University and her MBA from the University of Maryland. In her free time, Jen paddles competitively on dragon boat and outrigger teams and enjoys the shopping, nature, and culture the Portland area provides.
… Read MoreJessica Krause
Vice President of Corporate Finance
Category: Leadership, Website Display
Jessica has been in accounting and finance for over 20 years. Her experience in strategic financial planning, risk management, budgeting/forecasting, and financial analytics strengthens QPS' commitment to accounting and finance excellence. She is integral to making sound financial decisions and is committed to streamlining processes and enhancing accuracy through process optimization, integration of new technology, standardization, controls, and financial reporting.
… Read MoreSean Sayrs
Vice President of Accelerate
Category: Leadership, Website Display
Sean joins Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions with 27 years of experience as a sales rep, recruiter, division leader, practice director, and senior executive - all in the staffing industry. As Vice President he is responsible for managing the professional division.
Outside of work, Sean resides in Wisconsin with his wife, three children, and family pets. A lifelong tech enthusiast, Sean enjoys building custom gaming rigs for his family. He also loves bowling and racquetball, bowling regularly with the same team for over 30 years carrying a 209 average, and playing racquetball a couple times each week.
Rhonda Torres
Regional Vice President
Category: Leadership, Website Display
As Regional Vice President of Operations, Rhonda has over 20 years of experience in the staffing industry. She is an expert in identifying top talent and building strong internal teams that deliver results. Rhonda has a strong financial acumen and has helped numerous organizations optimize their staffing budgets while maintaining high levels of performance. In addition, she has a proven track record of building lasting relationships with clients and prospects and is known for her ability to connect with people and build trust.
Rhonda is deeply committed to the community and has strong ties to local organizations. She is married to her husband Marty and is the proud mother of two grown children. She enjoys visiting her family and spending quality time with them. Rhonda is a sports enthusiast who enjoys staying active and participating in a variety of athletic activities.
… Read MoreGreg Brey
Regional Vice President
Category: Leadership, Website Display
Greg has 17 years of experience in Commercial/Light Industrial Staffing. Greg is a dedicated staffing professional with a passion for operational delivery and growth. He is resilient in maintaining client relationships and delivering unparalleled service in all that he does. What is most rewarding to Greg is the fact that each day he gets to connect people to opportunities and be in the service of others. Greg is experienced in providing unique staffing solutions that drive productivity and build strong lasting partnerships.
Outside of work you can find Greg on the golf course, at a sporting event, or enjoying the local restaurant scene. He also enjoys traveling with family and is especially fond of exploring various locations in Mexico.
… Read MoreMatt Zadeh
Regional Vice President
Category: Leadership, Website Display
Matt came to QPS with 12 years of management experience in hospitality and driver staffing industries. He loves the challenge of building and developing great teams, as well as building relationships with business partners.
In his spare time, he can be found in the kitchen, on the golf course, or enjoying time with his wife, three kids, and two dogs. GO CHIEFS!
… Read MoreKelby McElroy
Regional Vice President
Category: Leadership, Website Display
Kelby has over 15 years of experience in the staffing industry. During that time, he has been known for going above and beyond for customers, associate employees, and his internal team. He strives for excellence and looks forward to navigating difficulties in recruitment/retention. This is done by building lasting partnerships with customers, associates, and amongst the community.
Before QPS, Kelby was a training specialist for Midwest Airlines where he helped several employees grow in their careers. He has taken this approach in his leadership style and continues to use it today.
Kelby, his wife Melissa, and their daughter Navy love watching the Green Bay Packers play football on Sundays, traveling, boating, and enjoying the small things in life—including their Irish Doodle, Curly.
… Read MorePatrick Hanifin
Regional Vice President
Category: Leadership, Website Display
Patrick is a career salesperson who has sold everything from e-commerce software and cleaning chemicals to golf clubs, electrical engineering solutions, and most recently—IT contracts and cybersecurity products. For the past 3+ years, he’s been leading a team of elite salespeople to grow a Managed Services Provider. He has built his career around listening to client needs and finding the right solutions to solve their problems.
Outside of work, Patrick spends a lot of time at parks, pools, and zoos with his wife and two young children. He also enjoys every chance he gets to swing a golf club after playing competitively in a former life.
… Read MoreJohn Lampe III
Regional Vice President
Category: Leadership, Website Display
John has been with QPS since 2005, building a career marked by steady growth and strong leadership. He began as a Skilled Recruiter, advanced to Branch Manager, and later became Director of Shared Services, where he oversaw remote recruiting, Safety, Workers’ Compensation, Unemployment, and Compliance. Today, as Regional Vice President, John’s guidance and leadership play a pivotal role in QPS’ operations. Known as an adept people leader, John inspires loyalty within his team and consistently executes plans, processes, and strategies at an exceptional level. He is extremely passionate about delivering innovative staffing solutions that foster long-lasting client partnerships.
John is married with two children and a dog. In his spare time, he enjoys doing anything outside, cooking, watching live sporting events, golfing, and spending time with his two daughters.
… Read MoreEmmanuel Beltran
Regional Director
Category: Leadership, Website Display
Emmanuel has more than 16 years of experience in the staffing industry, helping the businesses in his territory grow exponentially. He provides comprehensive strategies and solutions to help solve the problems his customers face and is proactive at identifying issues before they arise. Emmanuel is very passionate about developing the people he partners with and enjoys growing alongside them.
He loves spending the time raising his daughters and is very supportive about their passions.
… Read MoreDan Burnett
Director of Talent Development
Category: Leadership, Website Display
Since joining QPS in 2020, Dan has been expanding continuous learning and development opportunities that impact the company’s bottom line. A workplace learning professional with over 20 years of experience, he enjoys helping others realize potential and experience success.
Dan has a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in management and leadership. He is the author of the book “I Am CXO, Now What? A Job Description for Living a Life of Purpose and Meaning.” Westbow Press, 2017.
Dan and his wife, Denise, have two grown children and reside in Oconomowoc, WI.
… Read MoreMark Milan
Director of Marketing
Category: Leadership, Website Display
Mark started his career with QPS in 1995 as an onsite placement coordinator. Since then, he has moved into different operations roles within the organization progressing his career to a Branch Manager, Corporate Trainer and Marketing Manager. As Director of Marketing, his team supports the design and implementation of programs around QPS’ 4 Pillars of Candidate, Customer, Co-Owner and Community. He is passionate about his team providing high quality outputs while having fun doing it.
Mark, his wife Jeanne and two children live in Greenfield, WI where he enjoys golfing, biking, tackling home improvement projects and supporting Wisconsin sports teams!
… Read MoreMegan Henika
Director of Skilled Operations
Category: Leadership, Website Display
Megan is results-driven professional with 10+ years' experience in overseeing the operational aspects of multiple staffing locations, ensuring smooth and efficient business operations. Currently, she is overseeing our Skilled Trades division. Megan has a proven track record of achieving operational excellence, driving profitability, and optimizing business processes.
Outside of work, Megan enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs, Capone and Otis. On the weekends you will often find her taking on various DIY projects, consistently looking to enhance their new home located in Southeastern Wisconsin.
… Read MoreTake Your Search to the Next Level.
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Matt Zadeh
Regional Vice President
: Leadership, Website Display
Matt came to QPS with 12 years of management experience in hospitality and driver staffing industries. He loves the challenge of building and developing great teams, as well as building relationships with business partners.
In his spare time, he can be found in the kitchen, on the golf course, or enjoying time with his wife, three kids, and two dogs. GO CHIEFS!