Kristi Gage-Linderman, PHR, SHRM-CP, CSP, has established herself as an expert in talent acquisition and workforce consulting, having excelled as the chief executive officer of Gage Talent & Business Solutions since 2025. In this capacity, she meets with clients daily, connects with and submits candidates for placement, finalizes staffing contracts and partnership agreements, conducts follow-up sales calls, reviews company performance metrics and builds new programs and service offerings. Among Ms. Gage-Linderman’s recent initiatives are a career partnership program with a local school district, the co-development of an artificial intelligence recruiting platform in collaboration with an outside technology partner, and leading the formation of a nonprofit alliance connected to the business.
Prior to her present position, Ms. Gage-Linderman found success as the chief operating officer at Gage Talent & Business Solutions from 2015 to 2025. During this decade, she played a pivotal role in guiding the company through significant economic challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing uncertainty surrounding artificial intelligence’s impact on the staffing industry. Throughout each downturn since joining the company full-time in 2008, she consistently prioritized people over profit, a philosophy that allowed the business to emerge stronger after each crisis. Ms. Gage-Linderman’s leadership during these periods stands as her most notable achievement.
From 2010 to 2015, Ms. Gage-Linderman advanced through management roles in recruiting, sales and operations at Gage Talent & Business Solutions. She was responsible for overseeing various aspects of the company’s daily functions and supporting its growth trajectory. From 2008 to 2010, Ms. Gage-Linderman worked as a bilingual recruiter at the same firm, leveraging her language skills to expand candidate outreach and placement capabilities.
Ms. Gage-Linderman’s professional path began as an onsite manager at Gage Personnel, part of Gage Talent & Business Solutions, from 2006 to 2008. In this position, she managed workforce solutions directly on client sites. Concurrently, she gained experience in human resources, risk and safety, and insurance with the City of Reading and EHD from 2006 to 2008. This early exposure to multiple facets of workforce management informed her later approach to leadership.
Ms. Gage-Linderman’s commitment to professional development is reflected in her numerous certifications, including as a Project Management Professional from the Project Management Institute, a certified staffing professional from the American Staffing Association, an SHRM-certified professional from SHRM, and a professional in human resources from HRCI. She also obtained credentials in adult first aid, CPR, AED and bloodborne pathogens from The American National Red Cross, as a national women’s business enterprise from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, and OSHA’s 10-hour general industry safety and health credential from WRC Safety. Her academic background includes earning a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in 2005. This degree provided her with language proficiency that proved valuable during her tenure as a bilingual recruiter and continues to inform her inclusive approach to talent acquisition.
Active within her industry and community, Ms. Gage-Linderman has contributed to the board of directors for Literacy Council of Reading-Berks Inc., participates in Leadership Berks and is an advisory board member and past president of Greater Reading Young Professionals. She was also appointed as the vice chairwoman for GRCCI and a member on the board of directors for Greater Reading Chamber Alliance. Additionally, she was recruited to leadership positions with the Workforce Development Board of Berks County and provides her time and experience to the advocacy committee for the Berks County Pennsylvania Chapter of SHRM. Ms. Gage-Linderman’s civic engagement includes operating as the secretary on the board of directors for Reading Hospital Foundation since 2025.
Ms. Gage-Linderman’s company has been proudly recognized among Top Recruiting Firms in America by Business Insider in 2026 and Forbes Media LLC in previous years. She was also presented with the WBEC East Generational Award from Women’s Business Enterprise Center in 2025, the Business Excellence Award from Greater Reading Chamber Alliance in 2025, the Women of Influence Award from Lehigh Valley Business in 2022, the Brava Award from SmartCEO in 2017 and an award from The Walnut Club in 2017. Additional honors to her credit include Top Forty Under 40 Award by Lehigh Valley Business in 2015, multiple Business Excellence Awards for fastest growing company by Greater Reading Chamber Alliance between 2011 and 2015, and a Rising Star Award.
The legacy of Gage Talent & Business Solutions is deeply personal for Ms. Gage-Linderman. Her grandmother, Madonna Gage, founded the business in 1985 at age sixty-five after being let go from another recruiting firm, instead of retiring, she chose to create her own company— a testament to resilience that continues to inspire Ms. Gage-Linderman’s leadership today. She credits both her grandmother and parents as foundational figures whose determination shaped not only her approach but also the enduring values of her business.
Ms. Gage-Linderman attributes her success to humility, adaptability, innovation and genuine care for people. She emphasizes that nothing has been handed to her, every milestone has been earned through hard work within the context of a multigenerational family business. Her journey has included moments of self-doubt but also transformative realizations about leadership; particularly that one does not need to feel ready or capable before stepping into a leadership role but must recognize their potential impact regardless. Looking toward the future, Ms. Gage-Linderman intends to continue expanding Gage Talent & Business Solutions according to its strategic plans by meeting workforce needs where they are found while positioning the company as a comprehensive workforce partner through creativity and service expansion rather than remaining limited to traditional offerings.