1. Career Athletes:
Meet the Experts Series
“from the athletic field to the boardroom”
finding success in life after college athletics
Chris Mader, Vice President, Randstad NA
2. about today’s speaker – life in athletics
1980 – “I want to play major league baseball” (Age of 10)
1985-1988 – High School Varsity Letter athlete (Baseball, Golf)
1988 Amateur Baseball “Player of the Year” in the state of
Massachusetts & starting catcher on Team USA Junior Olympic team
1989 Division II World Series participant (Rollins College)
1992 – Graduated with BA in Mathematics, minor concentration in
Business Administration
1992 - Drafted by Chicago White Sox
1993 – South Atlantic League All-Star
1995 – Carolina League Champion
1995 – retired from professional baseball
1987 - 1996 – Held a few “odd” jobs
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3. about today’s speaker – career in business
1996 - Began career at New Boston Systems as a Sales Executive in
Woburn, MA
1999 – Opened start up office in Hartford, CT (Branch Manager)
1999 – company was acquired & renamed Sapphire Technologies
2002 – Promoted to Regional Manager (Woburn, MA; Hartford, CT;
Portland, ME; & Toronto, ON)
2005 – Promoted to National Accounts Director
2008 – company was acquired & renamed Randstad Technologies
2008 – Transferred to Director of Corporate Accounts (start-up
division)
2013 – Promoted to Vice President, Growth Strategy & Development
(Responsibilities include U.S. strategic initiatives, but also North American
strategy & global best concepts)
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4. shaping the world of work
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgLv1TBub-
c&src_vid=UIzJ9hkTj54&feature=iv&annotation_id=channel%3A51b5dc5e-0-2f68-89d8-47d7b3439de
Recruiting
Sourcing for talent;
whether it be for a
contract, contract-
to-hire, or
permanent job
positions.
Sales
Sales executives
meet with potential
customers on how
we can help them
meet their business
objectives.
Making the right
match
Recruiters and
sales executives
collaborate on
identifying the
“optimal match”.
Partnership
End client on boards
talent and Randstad
provides ongoing support.
Either at-will employment
(including associated
costs of employing US
based talent.)
OR we manage short or
long-term projects;
accepting full ownership
of deliverables.
5. • Ranked #2 globally by revenue at $21B USD (Staffing & Employment
companies)
• Ranked #450 on Fortune 500 list
• Full suite of IT Staffing and Solutions capabilities
• Currently partner with half of America’s Fortune 500 companies along with over
1,500 “mid-market customers”
• 72 physical office locations across North America
• Specialties: Recruitment, Projects, Consulting & Outsourcing
• Industry leader in:
• Workforce insights
• Women in leadership – “Women Powering Business Events”
• Inspiring Experts - STEM Careers
• http://www.randstadusa.com/workforce360/jobs-the-economy/science-math-and-the-skills-gap-the-
uncool-factor/222/
• Employer branding – The Randstad Award
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7. A reminder from a Gen X athlete to
Gen Y & Gen Z athletes:
“Mastery” takes 10,000 hours
(in athletics, in business, or in ANY endeavor)
8. the 5 traits of great achievers in athletics and in the
workplace…plus 1 extra
Sets SMART goals
• Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant, Timeline
Work Ethic
• Did you do your very best? Are you sure?
Passionate
• “I get to” vs. “I have to”
Persistent
• Never gives up
Accountable
• locust of control
Adaptable – “Make the adjustment”
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9. *
making good career choices after your life as an athlete
trying different jobs before you find “the job”
11. common traits of successful employees in the workforce
History of success
• No matter what they did, personal and professional
• Focused on results, but has business ethics
Versatile
Committed…willing to go the extra mile …will sacrifice
Passionate
Ability to bounce back quickly after setbacks
• Aka “high pain threshold” (mental and/or physical)
Incredible work ethic
Trustworthy
Service oriented
High IQ
High emotional intelligence
Has “common sense” & can relate to people
Prior experience working in a team environment
Might call themselves an “over-achiever”
Adaptable
12. people don’t leave companies…they leave
managers
find a mentor, the right one for you…
“The relationship that managers (aka coaches)
develop with each of their employees (aka players)
will be the most important component of each
employee’s happiness and subsequently, their
success.”
13. The best question my boss ever asked
me:
“Why are you here?”
Ambition + extrinsic motivators = how high you will soar.
“The greatest pleasure in life is doing what others say you cannot do.”
14. What do CEO’s & Executives talk about in the
boardroom?
Objective data
Transparency (check your ego at the door)
Leadership - CSR, Best Place to Work, Innovation
Strategy – People – Culture - Execution
Results…always results!
#scoreboard
15. “From Baseball to the Boardroom,
how athletics & business are exactly alike”
Why am I writing a book?
What do I hope to accomplish?
16. twitter version of my “universal truths”
10,000 hours to mastery
Don’t be a “hopper”
Your boss will be a more important component to your
success than your job title
While both important, “adaptability” is slightly MORE
important than a “strong work ethic”
Excluding your family, you’re annual income will be the
average of the 10 people you spend the most time with
Know “why you are there”
@ChrisMaderRT