Episode 120 - Feras Elkhalil on Building IT/IQ, Surviving Adversity, and Leading Through Uncertainty What does it take to build a successful staffing business when your life begins with instability, survival, and starting over? In this episode of Talent Titans, Suky sits down with Feras Elkhalil, President and CEO of IT/IQ Tech Recruiters and President and Chairman of The IQ Group of Companies, for a powerful conversation on grit, leadership, entrepreneurship, and belief. Feras shares his journey from immigrating to Canada as a child after fleeing conflict in Lebanon and Libya, to building multiple recruiting businesses through partnership, resilience, and long-term vision. He opens up about how adversity shaped his mindset, the leadership mistakes he had to unlearn, why most CEOs struggle with insecurity, and how true business growth comes from surrounding yourself with the right people. Get your tickets for the 2026 Canadian Staffing Industry Summit here: https://canadianstaffingindustrysummit.com/book-your-spot-now Key Moments: 00:00 Sponsor Message from Ascen 00:40 Meet Feras Elkhalil 01:57 Immigration and Adversity 03:47 Fleeing War to Canada 05:11 Why Vancouver, Not Montreal 09:31 Paranoia and Losing It All 13:02 From Hard Edges to Growth 19:50 Building Through Partnerships 25:57 Facing Investment Fear 29:14 When Partnerships Fail 31:59 Corporate vs Entrepreneur 36:00 Building a Safety Net 45:06 Belief and Final Advice Connect with Feras: As Co-Founder of IT/IQ Tech Recruiters, Penta Search Group, Executives IQ, Morningstar Solutions IQ, Horizon Recruitment, Blueprint ECM, and QA Centric, I've pursued a vision of developing specialized firms that solve real business challenges while building meaningful careers for the people within them. Each company was built on the same foundation: deep relationships, market expertise, and a relentless commitment to delivering the right solution. Email: feras@itiq.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/feraselkhalil/ Favorite Quote: "Go through that entire hallway of people telling you it's a bad idea. When you get to the other end, we'll see you there." Feras Check out more episodes of the Talent Titans Podcast: Why Contingency Recruiting is Dying: https://youtu.be/BAE9lrl8z74 Master Niche Recruiting: https://youtu.be/RoRWQ5bwPm0 Connect with Suky: Award-Winning Advisor & Industry Voice | Founder: Canadian Staffing Summit, Talent Titans, Recruitment Professionals Forum | Backing Bold Moves in Staffing, Tech & Investment — No Clickbait, Just Real Talk Suky doesn't just observe the staffing industry — she helps shape it. She's built platforms where the industry's most honest conversations happen: 🔹 Canadian Staffing Summit 🔹 Talent Titans Podcast 🔹 Recruitment Professionals Forum For over two decades, Suky's helped recruitment businesses scale with integrity — from internal team builds to boardroom strategy. She works with agency leaders, tech innovators, and the investors backing the future of staffing. But here's what Suky doesn't do: copy-paste playbooks, fluff-filled advice, or empty hype. She believes in smart growth, real talk, and community over competition. Her work sits at the intersection of: People + Performance Tech + Disruption Strategy + Soul Whether she's coaching founders, advising SaaS firms, or connecting those quietly rewriting the rules — one thing holds true: Suky backs those who build. LinkedIn www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com Grab of a copy of "How to Launch a Staffing Agency: Plan to Profits in 90 Days or Less" Talent Titans is sponsored by Ascen. Ascen is an employer of record that helps staffing and recruitment agencies hire employees compliantly throughout the US and Canada. Ascen's all-in-one, white-label platform handles onboarding, timesheets, payroll, benefits, insurance, invoicing, and funding so you can grow quickly in the US and Canada without worrying about back office and paperwork. Visit ascen.com to learn more.
