Challenger, Gray & Christmas is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and is the first executive outplacement firm in the US. It has offices throughout North America. James E. Challenger is the founder of the company. The Society for Human Resource Management recognized him in 1996 as the creator and pioneer of the outplacement field.James E. Challenger, the company's founder, spent years trying to persuade companies that it was good business to be nice to people heading involuntarily out the door.