HireEquity is a private equity investment, strategic advisory and executive staffing firm founded by Paul Villella. We focus on partnering with and scaling dynamic, high growth companies in a broad array of industries.
Our services include human capital strategy, professional staffing, staffing company investment and development, and equity investment and active participation services. We pride ourselves on helping companies at growth inflection points reach the next level.
Paul Villella is an entrepreneur, investor and recognized leader in the human capital industry.
He founded and served as president and CEO of HireStrategy, an award-winning, mid-Atlantic staffing firm listed in Washingtonian magazine’s Great Places to Work three years in a row and ranked number one in Washington Business Journal’s Best Places to Work nine years in a row. The Inc. 500 company reached $325 million in sales prior to its acquisition by Addison Group. While at HireStrategy, Paul was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year® semifinalist.
Paul is passionate about helping portfolio companies exceed their goals.
At HireEquity, he and his partners – all experienced entrepreneurs and former C-suite executives – add value through a combination of growth capital, directional strategy, operational expertise, board-level advising and access to influential industry relationships.
He is regularly quoted in The Washington Post, Washington Business Journal and The Wall Street Journal and has been featured on NBC, CNBC, Fox News and CNN.
Paul serves on the executive board of the Leukemia & Lymphoma society and is an executive mentor for The Global Good Fund’s fellowship program, in which promising young leaders tackling the world’s greatest socials issues are paired with seasoned executives.
Paul is an entrepreneur who successfully launched, operated, built and exited HireStrategy. He knows what it’s like to found a company and lead it from startup through high growth to a profitable M&A. He’s been there, done that – and wants to help you avoid mistakes and achieve his successes.
Paul is an experienced private equity investor. At HireEquity, he and his partners provide flexible growth capital to portfolio companies across multiple industries – and offer access to additional investment capital through an influential industry network.
As an operating partner of HireEquity’s portfolio companies, Paul takes an active, leadership role – driving businesses of all kinds, sizes and stages forward and making scaling to a successful exit not just possible, but probable.
Paul’s career in the human capital and staffing industry spans more than 20 years.
As the founder, president and CEO of HireStrategy, Paul built the company from the ground up, turning a small startup into a substantial success. He not only established an effective operational infrastructure, he also developed exceptional leaders, built empowered leadership teams and fostered a positive company culture that supported the company’s growth and eventual sale.
Prior to HireStrategy, Paul was regional vice president of Source Services, a mid-Atlantic staffing firm. He grew his region from $5 million to over $80 million in annual sales in just seven years, a major factor in the company’s acquisition by Kforce (KFRC), a global staffing services firm listed on NASDAQ.
Paul’s immense talent in the human capital and staffing industry has been recognized by employees, customers, partners and portfolio companies.
HireEquity partners with investment, human capital and staffing, software and technology and marketing and PR firms, as well as select networking and investment groups, that add value to companies seeking equity and individuals in need of career resources.
