Finalist
Software
Taleo Corp. has gone through a lot of changes since Michael Gregoire took over as chairman and CEO in 2005.
Gregoire led the company through a successful initial public offering in his first year and completed four acquisitions between 2005 and 2008. In addition, he grew the company’s revenue, coupling that with a higher level of profitability.
Taleo offers on-demand, unified talent management solutions that empower organizations of all sizes to assess, acquire, develop and align their work forces for improved business performance. Under Gregoire’s leadership, the company has transitioned from a traditional software licensing model to its current model of software-as-a-service. This model has been key to the company’s success and is preferred by customers, as it requires less initial investment and has relatively lower ongoing support cost compared to products offered by larger companies. Gregoire has also segregated Taleo’s product offerings and the sales and marketing function between small businesses and large corporations, giving it an edge over its competitors by allowing it to deliver a more customized solution to its customer versus a cookie-cutter approach offered by many competitors.
It is Gregoire’s vision to build a talent management community, which he believes would fuel the growth for Taleo’s products and offerings. To do this, he plans to roll out talent exchanges, also known as Talent Grid, in 2009. The Talent Grid will allow collaboration between companies to leverage their talent pool and exchange talent management ideas and best practices.
Gregiore’s technical direction has helped the company scale its existing products and add new offerings to its product suites. His leadership has kept the company profitable, even in the current economy, as it has continued to invest in research and development and product innovation.
And while competitors have cut staff or retrenched, Taleo plans to continue hiring.
How to reach: Taleo Corp., (925) 452-3643 or www.taleo.com
