As we celebrate 25 years, the Century Group team is looking to the future. The first step in that direction: further enhancing our connections within the Southern California finance industry.
Century Group already has a history of expertise in accounting, finance, tax and audit – our niche focus from the beginning – as well as strong ties and an unrivaled network nurtured through our long-standing involvement in Southern California. Looking to enhance our already-strong reach into the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys, we’ve welcomed Phil Bruno to the company’s executive team and Jake Barbee as a Senior Associate.
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A veteran of nearly 20 years in the staffing industry, Bruno serves as Managing Director of our San Fernando Valley Office. Throughout his career, he has participated in all aspects of the business, from hands-on sales and recruiting to serving as Regional Vice President of one of the national leaders in employment and staffing services. He has also worked in various business lines of the industry as well, including management consulting, accounting and finance, legal, technology, and creative, which helped prepare him for the task of building and managing markets. Bruno took this expertise and expanded on it when he served as Market Manager for another leading staffing firm, turning a small operation into a multi-division team with internal growth potential. |
“I help prepare people to run their own businesses,” Bruno shared. “That means developing managers, not managing people. I allow my team to develop and manage their own process by letting them be accountable to themselves. If I let them do their job, giving guidance as needed, they learn a lot by doing. And I, in turn, learn from them.”
“We were looking for someone with exactly Phil’s background and abilities to complement our continued growth in the region,” said CEO Ron Proul. “His philosophy and business acumen are a great fit with the executive team and the company as a whole.”
Nathalie Hollants, Director of Client Services, worked with Bruno in a prior role in the industry; she speaks highly of his management style and its effectiveness. “He has a way of working with people with varying personalities – he always makes it work,” she said. “He is an expert leader, able to build and maintain strong teams, and well-respected by clients and employees alike.”
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Bruno isn’t the only new addition. We’ve also welcomed Jake Barbee as a Senior Associate on the San Fernando Valley team. He comes to Century Group after a seven-year break from the recruiting industry, where he served as President and Managing General Partner of Omega Energy/Omega Development Fund, an independent energy company engaged in oil and gas exploration, development and production in the Illinois Basin. Prior to that, he spent nearly a decade as both an Account Manager and a Senior Executive Recruiter at two large, national staffing agencies’ offices in North Carolina and Burbank. In both roles, Barbee assisted in launching and expanding search divisions, recruiting and mentoring associates within various divisions, and serving as a top producer in placements for accounting and finance, as well as advertising, marketing and public relations. He earned his bachelor degrees in Philosophy and Media Communications from the University of Miami. |
By enhancing the focus in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys, we remain true to the vision of our founders – being the leader in the Southern California finance profession. As a testament to that, we will be the presenting sponsor at this year’s CFO of the Year Awards presented by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal this June.
