Skip page header and navigation

40 Under 40

The 40 Under 40 honors the rising stars making their mark on the workforce solutions ecosystem.

2024 40 Under 40

Justin Satterfield

Founder and CEO | Norwood

honoree profile

Turning crisis into opportunity has been a recipe for success for Justin Satterfield.

After getting laid off at age 26, Satterfield took a year to learn new skills before launching Norwood, the healthcare staffing and consulting company he now leads as CEO. Then, during the pandemic, he prioritized recruiting the best talent while other companies were laying off. His philosophy: “This is either the best thing that ever happened to me or the worst, and that’s 100% my decision.”

Norwood’s team building is centered around Satterfield asking, “How do you build a culture and environment where the best of the best want to come?” This has resulted in numerous accolades, including the grand prize in SIA’s 2024 Best Staffing Firms to Work For competition.

Growing his company has also been a priority. With Norwood’s annual revenue up 53%, the firm landed in 90th place on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies for 2023. Satterfield describes receiving this recognition as “emotionally a really cool experience.”

Charitable action is also a key part of Norwood’s culture, with Satterfield leading initiatives to support the environment and raise funds for children with rare diseases. “I don’t want to just say it,” he says, “I want to hold people accountable to it. This is who we are.”

When asked about the future of the staffing industry, Satterfield says, “It’s hard to look past the workforce evolution,” with many leadership changes expected in the next decade. He sees staffing partners as critical in helping employers onboard, educate and grow young talent. “Vendors will continue to step up and play a bigger role in this industry. We just have to.”