Shannon Russo

After years of working as a finance executive for companies that do hundreds of thousands of hires annually, Shannon W. Russo opted out to do her own thing. In 2004, she combined three small companies to form Kinetix, LLC, with the goal of creating a firm that could help growing companies get the talent they need to compete.

Kinetix, LLC, is a recruitment process outsourcing firm for growth companies. The firm leverages an integrated services model comprised of total RPO, recruiting, leadership training and HR consulting to help clients ensure that growth will never be slowed by an inability to acquire and retain the best talent. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Atlanta, Kinetix has filled tens of thousands of positions, from security guards to CFOs.

With Russo serving as CEO, Kinetix has doubled down on its growth trajectory with substantial investments in sales and marketing to achieve a two-fold increase in size over the next five years. Her leadership is focused on maintaining exceptional client delivery, continuous innovation and an employee-first culture.

“Shannon has always had the DNA of an entrepreneur,” said her colleagues. “Whether working in global, corporate executive finance roles or leading small start-ups, her energy, eye for innovation and flat-out courage to do what others won’t has driven her success.”

Russo has launched internal and external training programs and has prioritized giving back. “Shannon has dedicated a significant amount of time sharing thought leadership, recruiting trends, leadership lessons and industry-specific content as well as helping individuals,” said her staff. “Instead of hoarding information to serve her needs, she willingly shares information to help the entire industry.”

Under her leadership, the firm was named the Top RPO Provider by the HRO Today Association three years in a row. She has also been a featured conference speaker at HR Florida in their Master’s Series, the Georgia Society of CPAs and Staffing Industry Analysts as well as bswift and Ryder talent summits. Russo was also named one of the 300 Women in HR technology Worth Reading and creates a video series called Lean In.

According to Russo, being a leader requires you to never stop learning and to help folks along the way. “In my experience, paying anything forward always comes back, often in unexpected, wonderful ways,” she said. “And I believe, the moment you stop learning is the moment you are done growing. Leaders need to grow.”