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The Team

170+ years of combined recruiting experience.

Lucy Putlak
President 

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Lucy Anne Putlak is a Chicago businesswoman and the Founder and CEO of Watson Dwyer Inc. and Watson Dwyer Temporaries Inc. since 1990. She has served as President for over 30 years. Through hard work and a strong sense for staffing trends, she has grown the company and now has clients across the country. Lucy has served on the board of the Illinois Staffing Association as well as several non-profit organizations in Chicago. She is recognized as a leader in the industry and has trained top producing consultants. Lucy is married with three adult children and resides in Chicago. She holds a B.A from Michigan State University. 

Laura Nesbitt Cohen
Director of Staffing

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Experienced with over 30 yrs of Recruiting, Client Development and Management for Temporary and Direct Hire Staffing Solutions. Proud MOM of 3 adult children - Graduates from DePauw University, Butler University and the University of Illinois.

Erin Henderson
Consultant

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Erin joined the Watson Dwyer team in 2022 after graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in May 2021. Her varied customer service/sales background in Nashville tourism, at a country club/golf course, hotels and more has proven to be vital in joining our team. Erin is looking forward to building out her skillset to create lasting relationships with top talent and clients.

Joe Rubino
General Manager 

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Joe has been recruiting at Watson Dwyer, Inc. for over 25 years. A leader by example, he manages and works alongside his sales staff, supporting and training them. To Joe, building relationships comes as naturally as breathing! Joe’s work ethic was instilled by his father during his paper route days and he has instilled it in his own children. 

Working as hard for the small businesses as he does for Fortune 500 companies, Joe succeeds in building long lasting relationships with both potential job candidates and corporate clients.

Annette Hickman
Sr. Staffing Specialist

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Annette has over 33 years of expert staffing experience, including being the past president and owner of Classic Staffing. She is a native New Yorker who is passionate about her job. Other strong interests are cooking, entertaining, home decorating and raising funds for the University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation.

John Carroll
Operations Manager

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John started with Watson Dwyer Inc. as a recruiter in 2000 and became Operations Manager in 2002. He began his career in staffing as an I.T. recruiter after moving to Chicago from Madison, WI in 1997 and later joined a Chicago-based RPO firm. John holds a dual degree from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. In an office of Bears and Lions fans, he stands out as the only Cheesehead.

Cara Sawyer
Senior Consultant

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Cara Sawyer is a Michigan State University grad who moved to Chicago in 1996 and has been recruiting for more than 25 years. She developed her expertise over the years to encompass everything from entry-level to management roles in a variety of industries nationwide. Cara has earned the trust of many clients and is someone who will do her best to ensure a great fit for both clients and candidates.

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