• Express Speaker Bob Funk Banner

  • “You can live 40 days without food, four days without water,
    four minutes     without air, but you cannot live four
    seconds without HOPE!”


    Robert A. Funk is Founder, President, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the company has more than 770 franchises in the U.S., Canada, and South Africa. Under his leadership, Express has put more than 6.5 million people to work worldwide. Express provides expertise in Evaluation Hire, Temporary Staffing, Professional Search, and Human Resources, and works across a wide variety of industries. Express generated $3.05 billion in sales and employed a record 510,000 people in 2016.

    Funk also owns 37 Express franchises in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Kansas, and stays active with Express affiliated companies – Express Ranches and The Express Clydesdales of Express Employment Professionals.

    Before founding Express, Funk gained extensive business and staffing experience with Acme Personnel Services, starting as a personnel consultant and rising to vice president.


  • PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

    • American Staffing Association, Current Board Member
    • Liberty Bank, Current Board Member
    • International Franchising Association (IFA), Former Board Member
    • IFA’s Educational Foundation, Former Board of Trustees
    • 2009 Oklahoma Affiliated Director of Blue Cross Blue Shield
    • 2007 Chairman of the Conference of Chairmen, Federal Reserve Bank System
    • 2007-2006 Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, serving the 10th District
    • 2006 Member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors
    • Sales and Marketing Executives International (SMEI), charter honoree and former board of trustees member
    • 2011-2003 Blue Cross Blue Shield, board of directors


    PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION:

    • 2017 Inavero Best of Staffing Talent Award
    • 2017 Staffing 100 Hall of Fame, Staffing Industry Review
    • 2017 Business Leader of the Year, Association for Career and Technical Education
    • 2016- 2012 Staffing 100 List of Influential People, Staffing Industry Review
    • 2016-2014 Top Workplaces (Express International Headquarters by Workplace Dynamics)
    • 2016-2006  World-Class  Franchise, FranSurvey
    • 2015 Impact OKC Magazine: Man of the Year
    • 2015 Oklahoma Governor’s Citation, Bob Funk Day
    • 2015 Oklahoma City Mayor’s Citation, Bob Funk Day
    • 2015-2012 Best of Staffing Diamond Award Winner by Inavero/ CareerBuilder
    • 2014 Oklahoma State University Division of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources Champion Award
    • 2014-2008 Best of Staffing by Inavero/CareerBuilder
    • 2014-2013 Best of Staffing, Diamond Award Winner by Inavero/ CareerBuilder
    • 2013 Oklahoma’s Most Admired CEOs by the Journal Record
    • 2010 International Franchise Association Hall of Fame Inductee
    • 2005 Oklahoma State University’s Department of Animal Sciences Distinguished  Service Award
    • 2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Southwest Region
    • 2000 IFA Entrepreneur of the Year Award
    • 1993 Venture of the Year, Oklahoma Venture Forum
    • Sales and Marketing Executives International (SMEI) Hall of Fame, Inductee
    • National Association of Personnel Services Hall of Fame, Inductee
    • Paul Harris Fellow, The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
    • Certified Franchise Executive, International Franchise  Association


  • CIVIC INVOLVEMENT:

    • Current Chairman, Oklahoma Youth Expo
    • 2016-2014 Oklahoma Career Tech Teacher of the Year Sponsorship ($80,000 in Teacher and School Awards)
    • 2016-2014 National Career Tech Teacher of the Year Sponsorship ($46,500)
    • 2016-2014 Express Impact Project $190,000 awarded to a nonprofit by nomination
    • 2016-2012 Express Brand It Blue Day, Volunteer Event, Local and National for Food Banks, 246,600 meals provided to the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank
    • 2015 National FFA Foundation Sponsor, Board Member
    • 1991 to Present National and Local Sponsor of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
    • Oklahoma Independent College Foundation, Board Member
    • Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, Member and Former  Chairman
    • Oklahoma Independent College Foundation, Board Member
    • Habitat for Humanity contribution of $300,000 to purchase lots for 30 homes
    • Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) Board of Trustees, Member and Former Chairman
    • Business Affairs Committee at OBU, Chairman
    • President’s Council at OBU, Lifetime Member
    • Business Advisory Council for Oklahoma Christian University of Science and Arts, Member
    • Scholarships helping more than 300 Oklahomans
    • Express Scholarships exceeding $2 million


    RANCHING AND HORSES:

    • 2017 - Ranked 74 on The Land Report 100
    • 2017-2007 Nation’s Top 100 Land Owners, The Land Report
    • Largest registered beef producer in North America
    • Largest registered Angus cattle producer in North America
    • 6,000 Angus cattle
    • Land owner of 200,000 acres of land at six locations: El Reno, Perkins, Shawnee and Yukon, OK; Cimarron and Wagon Mound, NM
    • 2012 Express Clydesdales, National Champions
    • 2011 Oklahoma Angus Foundation, Hall of Fame
    • 2001 Oklahoma Limousin Breeders Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award
    • National Stockman’s Hall of Fame, Inductee
    • Honorary Angus Foundation, National Junior Angus Association, Inductee
    • 2007-2006 North American Limousin Foundation, Board of Directors, President
    • National Junior Angus Association, Honorary Angus Foundation
    • Angus Foundation, Benefactor


    PERSONAL RECOGNITION:

    • 2015 March of Dimes, Lifetime Achievement Award
    • 2010 Oklahoma Ethics Consortium Award
    • 2006 University of Edinburgh, Scotland, Distinction of University Benefactor
    • The University of Edinburgh James Clerk Maxwell Patron’s Club, Member


    EDUCATION: DEGREE/INSTITUTION/YEAR/ GRADUATED

    • 1962 Bachelor of Business Administration and Theology degrees, Seattle Pacific University (SPU)
    • 1969 Master of Arts, Seattle Pacific University
    • 1995 Honorary Doctor of Public Service, SPU
    • 2000 Honorary Doctor of Law, Oklahoma Baptist University
    • 2001 Honorary Doctor of Law, Southern Nazarene University
    • Graduate studies at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland

    • Speaking engagements filled upon
      special request 

    • Minimum audience of 300