Company: Vaco Los Angeles LLC, Los Angeles, CA
Entry Submitted By: Strategies
Company Description: Vaco Los Angeles is a leading accounting, tax, audit & technology consultant placement firm. Launched in 2006, it has been in the top 10 on the Best Places to Work in LA list for the last 5 years, with three number one placements, #15 of 100 Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies in LA by the LABJ, and has received Gold Stevie Awards for Best Employer and Fastest- growing Company among
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Company of the Year - Business Services

Nomination Title: Vaco Los Angeles

Tell the story about what this nominated organization achieved since January 1 2013 (up to 525 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

Founded on a vision to change the way work was done, Vaco Los Angeles, LLC has re-structured the traditional business environment, providing people with flexibility, empowerment and accountability and removing the 8-to-5-chained-to-the-desk mentality. This allows Vaco’s employees and the consultants and candidates they place to have interesting, challenging, successful careers, while being able to meet their personal goals and responsibilities – true work/life balance. In the process, the company has achieved remarkable success and growth. Vaco is a specialized placement firm for accounting, finance and technology professionals for both interim contract consulting positions and direct-hire placements. A $25 million company, Vaco has helped place 3,000+ professionals since inception and oversees 100-200 project and executive placements on an ongoing basis, significantly impacting the Los Angeles job market. Vaco Los Angeles should be named the Company of the Year for creating a new model for workplace success through its unique and innovative approach to work/life balance.

Vaco doesn’t require standard office hours so there’s optimal autonomy and flexibility for employees. Vaco’s employees are given goals and responsibilities and the freedom to structure their schedules to reach them. As long as the goals are accomplished, the details of “how” are left up to the employee. This level of personal responsibility has led to an unparalleled level of career satisfaction and exemplary performance and results and success for the company.

Vaco’s key accomplishments include:

•Only company in its category ever to be a three-time winner as #1 Best Place to Work in Los Angeles, in addition to being ranked in the top 10 for five years in a row
•Placed over 3,000 people in jobs since its inception in 2006
•An industry thought leader and leading entrepreneur, Vaco executives have been featured on Fox Studio 11, CBS MoneyWatch, the LABJ, AmericanExpress OPEN Forum, SearchNetworking, eFinancialCareers.com and CalCPA Magazine, and have spoken at events such as Financial Executives International, Evanta CFO Forum, and AmericanExpress OPEN CEO Women’s Forum
•Vaco’s revenue has grown by 25% over last year
•Increased client and consultant base by 35%
•Expanded staff by 20%
•Increased employee retention to 95% year-over-year
•Expanded from one to four business lines
•Won Gold Stevie Awards for Employer of the Year in the 2013 Women in Business Awards

Active in the community, Vaco Los Angeles has helped fund-raise for Girl Scouts and many other organizations. For eight years, Vaco executives and employees have supported Kidsave, a leading child advocacy organization for older foster children in the U.S. and orphans worldwide, helping raise over $800,000. The managing partner of Vaco Los Angeles has been sought to mentor and advise other CEOs and CFOs in both Vistage and Women Presidents Organization as well as at the Evanta CFO Forum and the American Express Women's CEO Open in Los Angeles in April 2014.

Vaco Los Angeles has made a significant impact in the growth of the regional economy and employment market, has pioneered a new model for employee empowerment and work/life balance, has achieved phenomenal growth, and is giving back to its community. For these reasons and more, Vaco deserves to be named the Company of the Year 2014.

Upload a collection of supporting files and web addresses to our server to provide more background information to the judges. You may upload any number of attachments and URLs through the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above. (Do NOT list your URLs below.)

Provide a brief (up to 125 words) biography about the leader of this nominated organization:

Frances Moreno launched Vaco Los Angeles in 2006 after consulting in the ERP software industry and serving as a top-ranked director at an S&P 500 publicly traded resource-based company.

Moreno earned her CPA license while at Deloitte & Touche, and is managing partner of Vaco Los Angeles, having grown the consulting and executive search practices swiftly through her extensive network with a tenured team.

Moreno earned a major in accounting and a minor in Spanish from San Diego State University. As a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, Moreno traveled Europe, completing one year of post-graduate work in Madrid before joining Deloitte.

Frances was a Kidsave board member for five years, active on their audit committee. She is active with Financial Executives International and the Women's Presidents Organization.