Leadership

Kip Hollister
Founder and CEO

Kip Hollister opened the doors of Hollister in 1988 with the dream of eliminating the transactional nature of the staffing industry. Her goal was to build an organization driven by values and relationships while guiding both candidates and clients through the challenges associated with a continuously evolving job market. In 2008, those values and relationships are precisely what have shaped Hollister into one of the premier staffing firms in Massachusetts.

Kip’s focus on innovation and expansion of the firm’s ability to remain competitive and ahead of rivals speak directly to her entrepreneurial spirit and her commitment to meet and exceed our clients’ and candidates’ needs. Today Hollister employs 75 talented staffing consultants and provides direct hire, contract and temp-to-hire solutions within the following specialty areas: Accounting & Finance, Administrative, Creative, Human Resources, and Technology.

As a steadfast supporter of business-community partnerships, Kip recognizes Hollister is only as strong as the community it serves. Her passion, high energy, commitment and leadership have served in raising the bar for small businesses throughout Massachusetts as well as sparking a fire within her own firm by celebrating social cause through extensive volunteerism. She serves on the boards of YMCA, Training Inc. and North Cambridge Catholic High School, Everybody Wins!! Metro Boston, as well as also being actively involved with City Year and Year Up.

Kip earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the Susquehanna University in 1984. She resides with her husband Warren Hyde and four children in Dover, MA.

Most Recent Awards

2008 Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Pinnacle Award for Entrepreneurship
2008 Enterprise Woman of the Year
2007 Induction into the Boston Business’ Hall of Fame through Junior Achievement of Massachusetts
2007 Nonprofit Education Partnership of the Year- Boston Business Journal’s Corporate Citizens Summit
2006 Stevie Award for Women in Business

Ziad Awdeh
Controller

Ziad Awdeh brings 15 years of financial management, operations, and accounting experience to his role as Controller
here at Hollister.

Ziad began his accounting career as an auditor with Deloitte & Touche in the Boston office where his client base included a variety of industries such as manufacturing, software, retail, financial services, government, and non-profit organizations.

He became Regional Controller for an international software company where he developed accounting policies and procedures, sales compensation programs, and oversaw the sales order-processing function. Ziad later became Controller for an internet-based clinical trials recruiting company where he created financial analysis models, metrics, and the budgeting process.

Ziad believes that accounting is not simply a transaction-based, back-office function, but rather, a strategic partnership, in which he works proactively with the front line of operations to continuously develop, improve and grow the business.

Having personally experienced an exclusive partnership with Hollister throughout his own growth as a financial professional- always returning for consultation on his next career move- Ziad’s passion for Hollister extends beyond his financial advisory role and runs deep within the core values and culture of the brand.

Ziad earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Architecture from Northeastern University and his MBA from Babson College. He is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Massachusetts.

In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children and improvising on the piano.

Julie Dardano
Vice President

With over 23 years of experience in all facets of strategic staffing services, organizational business operations, and senior level account management, Julie Dardano brings a wealth of knowledge and value-added relationship skills to the Hollister leadership team.

The first four years of Julie’s career were spent as a social caseworker in Providence, RI. Shortly after, she changed careers and took a position with the Randstad, formerly Office Specialists, Inc. Not knowing it at the time, this pivotal decision would mark the beginning of a 20-year career in professional staffing services with increasing responsibility and significant accomplishments—nationally and internationally—over the next two decades.

At Randstad, Julie held various manager, director, and leadership positions. This exposed her to a multitude of client and staffing environments, allowing her to develop numerous management tools, staffing processes, and programs that increased value for all stakeholders and staffing efficiencies. She also held positions that enabled her to hone her skills in human resources, training, and employee development.

Among her career accomplishments, Julie was an instrumental project team member developing and delivering an e-solutions service for Randstad and PeopleSoft staffing needs on a global scale. Additionally, her experience with and within client organizations have resulted in significant pricing and cost saving models evidenced by her successful development and deployment of Business Impact Reviews, Balanced Scorecard Initiatives, Management Training and Development, Client Retention and Development, and Strategic Account Planning across multiple staffing disciplines.

Julie’s approachable and inviting demeanor is only matched by her commitment to provide the best possible solutions for both candidates and clients. Her personal and professional standards of always doing the right thing align completely with the Hollister values and our highly regarded culture.

Julie earned her Bachelor of Arts from Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island.

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Leadership