Kelly Completes Sale of European Staffing Business to Gi Group Holdings S.P.A.

• Sharpens its focus on higher margin, higher growth global managed service provider (MSP) and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), and North American specialty outcome-based and staffing services
• Accelerates transformation to deliver significantly improved net margin
• Cash proceeds to be redeployed in pursuit of growth through organic and inorganic investments
  

TROY, Mich., Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  Kelly (Nasdaq: KELYA, KELYB), a leading global specialty talent solutions provider, today announced it has completed the sale of its European staffing business to Gi Group Holdings S.P.A. (“Gi”). Kelly previously announced on November 2, 2023, that it had entered into a definitive agreement to sell the business to Gi.

“Today is a significant milestone in Kelly’s journey to become a more focused enterprise positioned to accelerate profitable growth,” said Peter Quigley, president and chief executive officer. “By further streamlining the company’s operating model to focus on higher margin, higher growth business and unlocking significant capital, we have greater flexibility and capacity to invest where we can compete and win over the long term.”

Kelly received cash proceeds of €100 million upon closing the transaction. Additional proceeds from an earnout provision based on a multiple of an adjusted 2023 EBITDA measure would be payable in the second quarter of 2024 if achieved.

With the sale of Kelly’s European staffing business, the company’s operating model comprises four reportable segments focused on global MSP and RPO solutions, and North American specialty outcome-based and staffing services. The segments include Professional & Industrial; Science, Engineering & Technology; Education; and Outsourcing & Consulting Group. The company retains its MSP, RPO, and functional service provider business, maintaining a global capability in these businesses in the North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe, Middle East, and Africa regions.

The sale also accelerates the company’s efforts to significantly improve its EBITDA margin through its ongoing business transformation initiative, contributing approximately 30 basis points of favorable impact on a pro forma, full year 2023 basis. By combining this impact with the benefit of a full year of expected transformation-related savings and current top-line expectations, the company would expect to achieve a normalized, adjusted EBITDA margin in the range of 3.3% to 3.5%.