MILWAUKEE, Nov. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ManpowerGroup Chairman Emeritus, Mitchell Fromstein, passed away on 7 November 2013 at the age of 85.  After a successful career as an advertising agency executive, Fromstein was appointed President and CEO of Manpower in 1976 following co-founder Elmer Winter's retirement. He served in that capacity for 23 years until his retirement in 1999. Under Fromstein's leadership, Manpower grew from a US-based $300 million business to a more than $10 billion global industry giant.

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During Fromstein's tenure, Manpower reached a number of significant milestones. He led the development of Skillware, a break-through, innovative office technology training system, which to date has trained more than seven million people worldwide. In 1986, he oversaw Manpower emerge independent of the Parker Pen company. The same year, he took the company public — Manpower shares were listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange. After Manpower was acquired by Britain's Blue Arrow PLC, it was Fromstein who, in 1991, reorganized it and helped it reemerge independent.

In the 1990s, Mitchell Fromstein led Manpower's geographic expansion and broadened its world of work expertise. By 1999, Manpower's global footprint spanned more than 50 countries and 3,000 offices worldwide. Its offerings included a wide range of innovative workforce solutions serving millions of associates and thousands of clients each year. Following his retirement as President, CEO and Chairman at the age of 71, Fromstein was succeeded in 1999 by current ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres.

"Mitchell was not only a trusted friend but a great mentor and an adviser," said Joerres. "His tremendous acumen and tenacity helped our business weather some of the most severe storms in our 65 year history. At ManpowerGroup we are proud to carry on Mitchell's legacy. Our company is stronger and better prepared to face the uncertainties of the Human Age thanks to Mitchell Fromstein's vision and leadership. The world of work has lost one of its greatest champions today."

In honor of Mitchell Fromstein's legacy, flags at ManpowerGroup Milwaukee Global Headquarters will fly at half-mast next week.

About ManpowerGroup

ManpowerGroup™ (NYSE: MAN) is the world leader in innovative workforce solutions that ensure the talent sustainability of the world's workforce for the good of companies, communities, countries, and individuals themselves. Specializing in solutions that help organizations achieve business agility and workforce flexibility, ManpowerGroup leverages its 65 years of world of work expertise to create the work models, design the people practices and access the talent sources its clients need for the future. From staffing, recruitment, workforce consulting, outsourcing and career management to assessment, training and development, ManpowerGroup delivers the talent to drive the innovation and productivity of organizations in a world where talentism is the dominant economic system. Every day, ManpowerGroup connects more than 630,000 people to work and builds their experience and employability through its relationships with 400,000 clients across 80 countries and territories. ManpowerGroup's suite of solutions is offered through ManpowerGroup™ Solutions, Manpower®, Experis™ and Right Management®. ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the third consecutive year in 2013, confirming our position as the most trusted brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup makes powering the world of work humanly possible at www.manpowergroup.com. Follow ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres on Twitter: Twitter.com/manpowergroupjj 

SOURCE ManpowerGroup