Hudson Talent Solutions buys Cornerstone RPO to deepen US recruiting reach
What's the deal? Star Equity Holdings' Hudson Talent Solutions (HTS) has acquired Cornerstone RPODealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Richmond, Virginia-based recruitment process outsourcing provider. The deal closed on November 2, 2026; terms were not disclosed.
Who is Cornerstone? Founded in 2005 by Rodney Ashby and David Kenworthy, it delivers flexible recruiting solutions across the US, Canada, and Mexico. The firm serves more than 30 active clients and has worked with over 200 organisations, from startups to Fortune 100 companies.
What's the endgame? HTS is building a global total talent solutions provider spanning RPO, talent advisory, executive search, employer branding, and recruitment technology across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific. Cornerstone will operate within Star's Business Services division, and Ashby joins HTS as a North American sales leader to build enterprise accounts.
Why now? "The addition of Cornerstone to HTS immediately bolsters our presence in the U.S. RPO market, the world's largest," said Jake Zabkowicz, HTS global chief executive officer. Star chief executive officer Jeff Eberwein called it a "price-disciplined, value-enhancing bolt-on acquisition" that will add US taxable income and drive back-office cost efficiency.
The signal: The deal fits a broader consolidation push to broaden talent services and strengthen North American reach. It follows a much larger move in September, when Korn FerryDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → completed its roughly $1.1 billion acquisition of RPO and managed-services provider AMS. Hudson's bolt-on is smaller, but reflects the same drive to combine delivery, technology, and advisory under one roof.
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