Raise Leadership Change
Raise Names Emily Schmidt Chief Executive Officer to Lead Global Expansion and Enterprise Growth
Raise, a Houston-based workforce solutions company, has named Emily Schmidt as its new Chief Executive Officer, promoting her from Chief Operating Officer. The move signals a shift from brand-building to operational scaling as the company pushes into new global markets, according to Financial Post.
Co-founder Tim Masson, whose family has been tied to the business since its founding in 1957, steps into an Advisor role. He will continue to support market presence and strategic growth. The company says clients will see no changes to their teams, partnerships, or services, according to Business Wire.
Emily Schmidt Takes the Helm After 70-Year Journey
Raise traces its roots to 1957, when engineering partners Ian Martin and Mary Masson began contracting engineers to other firms after a project fell through. The company rebranded from Ian Martin Group to Raise in November 2022, aiming to signal a "purpose-driven" global workforce strategy. At the time of that rebrand, it ranked as the 10th largest staffing company in Canada, according to Staffing Industry Analysts.
Schmidt, who spent her tenure as COO building and scaling Raise's operations, now leads overall strategy and business performance. "Raise has built a strong foundation through innovation, client partnership, and a relentless focus on delivering value," she said. "We're focused on operational excellence and scaling what we've built to support our clients globally," according to Morningstar.
Direct Sourcing Model Cuts Hiring Costs by Up to 40%
Raise built its growth on a "direct sourcing" model. Instead of using outside agencies, enterprise clients use their own employer brand to find and attract workers. That approach slashes traditional agency markups from 45-50% down to just 10-15%, according to Staffing Industry Analysts. It also cuts time-to-hire by up to 60% and reduces contingent labor costs by 15-40%, according to AMS research cited by the company.
This model has attracted over 125 enterprise clients and thousands of small-to-medium businesses. Raise currently runs 20 offices, employs around 500 staff, and has roughly 5,000 contractors on assignment at any given time, according to Financial Post. The U.S. staffing market is forecast to hit $183.3 billion in 2026, growing 2.1% year over year.
Masson Steps Back as Global Expansion Accelerates
Tim Masson, the grandson of co-founder Mary Masson, described the handoff as a natural next step. "Emily has been instrumental in building and scaling our operations, and she's the right leader to guide the company forward," he said, according to the Las Vegas Sun. He remains active as an advisor, focused on innovation and strategic growth rather than day-to-day operations.
Raise already has teams operating in the Philippines, Ghana, India, Canada, and the United States. Asia alone is projected to contribute nearly 60% of global economic growth in 2026, making the region a key target for expansion. The company is also a Certified B Corporation and holds PAIR Certification, which focuses on inclusive hiring practices, according to Business Wire.
Promoting a COO Signals a Push for Operational Scale
Industry analysts say the choice to promote an operations leader rather than hire an outside CEO is a telling sign. It points to a company moving past its rebranding phase and into disciplined growth. Staffing Industry Analysts notes that in 2026, staffing firms are under pressure to build revenue in adjacent services like Payroll, Employer of Record, and compliance management, as direct sourcing chips away at traditional agency revenue.
McKinsey and Mercer research points to a 2026 trend of companies prioritizing resilience over pure speed, favoring leaders who can reuse capacity across different markets. Schmidt's background in operations fits that mold. For now, Raise's official message to clients is straightforward: nothing changes for them today, but the company is building toward something bigger, according to Morningstar.
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