Coombes joins Robert Half Government from CertainPoint, a consultancy he founded. Before CertainPoint, Coombes had served for six years as chief insurance and technology officer for the California Earthquake Authority. Previously, he had held multiple executive positions with companies specializing in education and health care, among other sectors.
The Rocklin resident explained why he joined Robert Half Government.
“I’ve partnered with Robert Half in the past, and I’ve always been impressed with the organization,” he told Techwire in an interview. “I wasn’t looking to make a change; I was enjoying what I was doing. When Robert Half approached me, during the pandemic, there was a huge amount of growth in Robert Half’s government practice. They were looking to expand, and the timing was right. So they came to me and they said, ‘We’re looking for someone who has been a CIO, somebody who has deep and wide experience in that space, so when we talk to our potential customers, we can put that knowledge and experience in front of them.’
“But not only that – it helps to drive conversation and positive outcomes for both organizations,” Coombes said. “So that was intriguing to me, and the fact that I knew several of the people already was compelling. I’ve never wanted to work for an organization that does things halfway. I’ve always wanted to work for an organization willing to try new things and be on the cutting edge. Robert Half is doing that.”
What distinguishes the company from others, he said, is its versatility and depth.
“One of the biggest differentiators about the organization is they have the ability, through their wholly owned subsidiary, Protiviti, to offer a combination of talent solutions and business consulting. You put all that together under one umbrella, and it’s very powerful. I love the way the organization uses AI to match potential candidates with organizations – in our case, for governments across the country. And since we have international reach, we can find organizations the exact right talent to meet their needs.”
Shifting from his own consultancy to an international company was a change Coombes has grown accustomed to in his career, and he describes his new role as a great fit. He has participated in 11 startups over his career, and in addition to his executive role with a state government entity and his previous experiences as a corporate chief information officer, he’s also been an adjunct professor an Anderson University in Indiana, where he earned his master’s in business administration.
“My CIO experience (was over) many years, across commercial, higher education and government,” Coombes said. “You mix all those things together – being a subject matter expert and leader in the govtech space – it’s why I decided to make the move. I wasn’t actively searching, but when an opportunity like that presents itself, it’s hard to ignore.”
