Talent Group COO Megan Woodbury makes global power list

Talent Group Chief Operating Officer Megan Woodbury has been named to Staffing Industry Analysts' 2026 Global Power 150 Women in Staffing list. The annual list recognises senior women in staffing and workforce solutions worldwide.

Woodbury was recognised after helping lead Talent Group's restructuring into a business that combines recruitment, technology consulting and workforce services across five brands. Her work focused on programmes intended to link those brands more closely and increase collaboration across the group.

One of those initiatives was Sprint, a 90-day leadership and development programme designed by Woodbury. The company said it covers strategy, artificial intelligence, mentoring and cross-brand collaboration, and has been central to efforts to reduce internal silos.

Talent Group said cross-brand client collaboration has increased by 35% since Sprint was introduced, while gross margin from integrated opportunities has risen by 24.6%.

Woodbury also led changes to the company's shared services unit, which was renamed the Hero Team. According to Talent Group, the team was later named APSCo Australia's 2025 Back Office Team of the Year.

Outside the main commercial business, Woodbury also reshaped Rise by Talent, the group's social enterprise. The unit focuses on developing diverse emerging talent and creating pathways into Australia's technology sector, according to the company.

Group overhaul

Talent Group was founded in 1995 and operates across Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Its five brands are Talent in recruitment, Solve by Talent in workforce and talent solutions, Avec in consulting and IT project delivery, Scale by Avec in workforce augmentation, and Rise by Talent as its social enterprise.

Woodbury's recognition comes as staffing and workforce companies face pressure to expand beyond traditional recruitment. Many firms have sought to combine hiring, consulting, project work and talent management under one structure as clients look for fewer suppliers and broader service offerings.

Staffing Industry Analysts, the research and advisory firm behind the list, said the Global Power 150 Women in Staffing is now in its 12th year. The unranked list includes leaders from staffing companies, platforms, managed service providers and related organisations.

According to the organisation, those selected are senior leaders whose strategic decisions have measurable effects on their companies and the wider staffing market. That places Woodbury's inclusion within a broader industry trend of recognising operational leaders for organisational redesign as much as for sales growth.

Industry recognition

For Talent Group, the award also highlights the growing prominence of operational roles in businesses trying to integrate multiple service lines. Chief Operating Officers in staffing groups have increasingly been tasked with aligning systems, teams and incentives across separate brands that were often built for distinct markets.

Woodbury said the award reflected collective work across the business rather than an individual effort. "Being named alongside the most influential women in our industry is a privilege. Our transformation has been about breaking down silos so our people and brands can deliver more for clients together. The results show what's possible when a business commits to that change. This recognition belongs to every person at Talent Group who made it happen," Woodbury said.

Group Chief Executive Officer Mark Nielsen linked the recognition to the company's internal changes and the commercial impact it cited. "Megan has been instrumental in reshaping how Talent Group operates. She has built the programs, teams and culture that let our brands work as one group, and the commercial results speak for themselves. This recognition is thoroughly deserved," Nielsen said.

Talent Group said it has received more than 50 global awards, including recognition from Gallup Global Top Workplaces and Deloitte Best Managed Companies. Woodbury's inclusion on the Global Power 150 adds an individual industry distinction to those company-level awards.

The latest list also underlines the continued visibility of women in senior leadership across staffing and workforce businesses at a time when employers are paying closer attention to executive representation, internal mobility and access to jobs in sectors such as technology. In Talent Group's case, that emphasis extends to Rise by Talent, which is aimed at improving diversity in the tech talent pipeline, according to the company.

Staffing Industry Analysts said the Global Power 150 Women in Staffing list recognises leaders making notable contributions across the international staffing and workforce solutions market.