Wayne Stickles '67: Bryant Education Inspires Alum to Create Legacy
Wayne Stickles '67 enjoyed a successful career in the staffing industry where he was responsible for more than 300 offices, generating more than $500 million in sales annually. Before retiring, Stickles ran his own staffing company, where he and his son David doubled the size of the business.
A critical component to Stickles' success: his Bryant University education.
"I had so many professors during my time at Bryant who were kind enough to go out of their way to help me," he says. "In addition, the friendships I made with my classmates, which continue to this day, helped develop me."
Because of the lifelong impact that Bryant has had on him, Stickles has decided to make a bequest that will benefit Bryant students for years to come.
"When I realized it was time to do some planning for the future, my first thought was to make sure that my family was taken care of," he says. "But I also thought that it would be nice to 'pay it forward' and thank Bryant for providing me with the tools I needed to develop and maintain a successful career."
Following his graduation with a marketing degree from Bryant, Stickles enlisted in the Air Force. Honorably discharged after four years, he then began his career at Olsten Services, a staffing company in Baltimore, MD, as a sales representative. In 1979, he and his family moved from Baltimore to Ft. Lauderdale, FL, where he accepted a job with Personnel Pool. There, as Vice President of Operations, Stickles enjoyed unprecedented growth and success.
"My sales training from courses I took at Bryant helped me to win over a number of customers," Stickles says. "I was then on my way to a successful career in sales, sales management, sales training and consulting."
In 1998, Stickles bought out a franchisee at Personnel Pool in West Springfield, MA. Having sold that business in 2013, he is happily retired and living in Central Florida.
"I have great memories from my time at Bryant," Stickles says. "Now I hope that my contributions can help someone else make their own wonderful memories while receiving a terrific education."