Company:Vaco Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Entry Submitted By:Strategies
Company Description:Vaco Los Angeles is a leading consulting and staffing firm for accounting, finance and technology professionals.
Nomination Category:Company/Organization Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category:Company of the Year – Business Services – More Then 10 Employees

Nomination Title: Vaco Los Angeles

Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated organization since the beginning of July last year (up to 525 words):

Vaco Los Angeles has again been named on the Best Places to Work in Los Angeles list, marking its seventh year in a row on the top rankings. Vaco is built on a unique vision and work/life balance business model that fosters teamwork, cooperation, and commitment to shared corporate goals, which has led to remarkable market growth and performance. Truly understanding the critical relationship between a healthy corporate culture with a satisfied, engaged workforce has had a positive impact on the bottom line.

Vaco Los Angeles, a placement firm specializing in interim consultants and executive search for finance, accounting and IT, is deserving of the Company of the Year award for this mission, its support of women in business as 76 percent of the staff are women, its significant contribution to the local economy by placing people in employment, and for its phenomenal market expansion.

Vaco Los Angeles challenged the traditional corporate environment with a new business vision. One in which professionals can attain optimal productivity and career satisfaction, while meeting personal responsibilities and goals. Vaco is a consulting and executive search firm that places finance and technology professionals in both contract and direct-hire positions, enabling them to advance in their professions, while maintaining a flexible schedule and control over their careers. Vaco was built on the principle that by providing employees with flexibility and accountability, they’d achieve success. The Vaco mission is that trust, commitment and results go hand in hand. Vaco offers employees a variety of options including flexible work schedules, telecommuting and part-time and full-time positions. The contract positions Vaco fills also provide work/life balance opportunities for the consultants they place as it allows professionals to secure consulting positions that provide them career flexibility.

Vaco’s key accomplishments over the last year include:

• The only company to ever to be a four-time #1 Best Place to Work in Los Angeles, and in the Top 10 for five consecutive years
• 76 percent of the Vaco Los Angeles team are women
• Gold Stevie Awards 2012, 2013 and 2014
• An industry thought leader featured on Fox Studio 11, CBS MoneyWatch, AmEx Open Forum, the Los Angeles Business Journal, eFinancialCareers.com, CalCPA Magazine, and HRO Today. Executives have spoken at such prestigious industry associations as Financial Executives International.
• Revenue growth to over $29 million since inception in 2006
• Client and consultant base has increased by 35% over last year
• Expanded staff by 30%
• Over 500 corporate clients and accounting firms rely on Vaco for their hiring solutions
• Placed over 4,000 people in jobs since its inception

Active in the community, Vaco Los Angeles has helped raise funds for Girl Scouts and many other organizations. Vaco executives and employees have supported Kidsave, a leading child advocacy organization for older foster children in the U.S. and orphans worldwide, and have helped raise over $800,000.

Vaco Los Angeles deserves the Company of the Year award for its support of women in business, for helping to place people in employment, for building an award-winning workplace environment, and for increasing its revenue and profitability in the process.

Provide a brief biography of the person or persons who lead the nominated company (up to 125 words):

Anchor partner Frances Moreno founded Vaco Los Angeles in 2006. Frances earned her CPA license after completing her Bachelor’s degree in accounting w/a Spanish minor at Cal State University, San Diego. Frances is a former Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar to Madrid, Spain. Previously, she worked for Deloitte, the State of California, an ERP software company, and an S&P 500 staffing company. She’s a member of Vistage, Women’s Presidents Organization and Financial Executives International, and serves on the Kidsave and the Girl Scouts boards of directors. Inspired by her own family life with her husband and children, Frances has developed Vaco with a vision for work/life balance to work for her life as well as for the lives of her employees and consultants.

Choose one (even if both apply):

The CEO (or other principal manager) of this company is a woman, and at least 40% of the management team is comprised of women.