Free Yourself!

Rachel Marano, Pivot Point Consulting, Managing Partner & Co-Founder gives us the "Best of" moments from her LinkedIn Live Series, Be HER(d). This 10-minute episode is packed with wisdom and insight from women in leadership. Enjoy!

Vaco Managing Partner, Nirad Chaudhari, leads a discussion with Vaco's Inclusion, Diversity, Equity Committee to encourage growth and participate in meaningful dialogue for change.

Vaco has taken a firm stance against institutional racism in not just the workplace, but in the world. In an effort to effect meaningful change, Vaco has formed an Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity Cabinet (IDEC) to guide Vaconians in shifting the narrative. The IDEC and Vaco’s commitment to inclusivity will be featured in a special “diversity series.” In this first episode, Lavonte’ Kirven, Vaco senior director in San Francisco, sits down for an honest and heartfelt conversation with Vaco CEO Jerry Bostelman about why this initiative matters so much and how Vaco can be a small part of global change.

Hackers are skilled at stealing credit card information and using it for even more nefarious forms of identity theft. But hackers beware! Vaco has partnered with NEC X to develop custom AI/ML solutions to help identify and flag inconsistencies that indicate fraudulent activities such as unauthorized transaction card purchases. These solutions can stop hackers in their tracks, especially within those verticals where ID verification plays an important role in the transaction process. Listen to this episode of Free Yourself to learn how Vaco and NEC X are "hacking the hackers."

Redacting unnecessary personal identifiable information (PII) brings an elevated level of security for customers.In this episode, Vaco and NEC-X discuss how their new solution uses AI/ML to control and eliminate sensitive PII data.

Have you felt the need for a change in your career? Maybe you were looking for something more challenging? Or, maybe you just felt like your job was not fulfilling anymore. If you’ve asked yourself these questions, maybe you are ready to transition careers. Maybe you’re ready to take a leap of faith and try something new!

In this episode, we’re giving you a special preview of the local podcast we host out of Vaco’s office in Steel City, The Leadership Café. During each episode, our hosts Michael Couch and Richard Citrin talk to extraordinary people who are leading remarkable businesses across Pittsburgh. Today, Michael and Richard speak with the creator of Eco Islands, Colin Lennox.

Helping businesses find creative solutions to any challenge has long been one of Vaco’s specialties. One of the most interesting scenarios is when companies need help finding experienced financial executive leaders at a moment’s notice to cover capacity or capability gaps within an organization. Known as an interim executive, these veteran leaders have a significant amount of experience leading through times of change. On this episode we’d like to share more about hiring executives on an interim basis – the ideal scenario, the best strategy, the ideal candidate – and how they can deliver day-one value. Joining for today’s discussion is Monica Foster, veteran C-suite recruiting expert and managing director for Focus Search Partners’ interim executive services practice.

Just when you think we’ve got a good handle on the Cyber Crime of Identity Theft, up pops a new way that hackers are creating havoc. Synthetic Fraud, also referred to as Frankenstein Identity Theft, is a new and innovative way being used to fraud financial institutions and individuals. And if you haven’t heard of this, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered in this podcast. In this second episode of a four part series on the benefits of using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AIML) to tackle big challenges, host Elliot Lowen is joined by Vaco Partner Sudhir Sahu, Robert Riddle, Head of Program Management at Vaco, and Rohith Polishetty, Practice Manager at Vaco. Together they discuss how you can be prepared for this new form of fraud using AIML.

As corporations work through the challenges of getting the most value from technology, Vaco and NEC have forged a partnership that can help enterprises across many industries through a combination of innovative hardware and software platforms. In this first episode of a four part series designed to showcase how Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AIML) can be leveraged to help resolve the most complex technological challenges of the day, host Elliot Lowen is joined by Vaco Partner Sudhir Sahu, Robbert Emery, Director of Technology at NEC, Robert Riddle, Head of Program Management at Vaco, and Rohith Polishetty, Practice Manager at Vaco.

Amanda Henley, Vaco’s Chief Marketing Officer, discusses Vaco’s response to COVID-19 with Jerry Bostelman, Vaco’s Founder and CEO. Listen as Jerry shares his eternally optimistic thoughts on how Vaco is finding beauty in fear and supporting clients and team members.

Pivot Point Consulting is one of Vaco’s specialty practices with a concentration on Healthcare IT. Jerry Bostelman, Vaco’s Founder and CEO sits down with Rachel Marano, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Pivot Point Consulting to discuss how Pivot Point is helping clients and healthcare companies navigate these unprecedented times.

In Part 3 of this series, our outstanding Vaco WFH parents continue the conversation on juggling life as a parent and employee during this unprecedented time. Taken from their recent LinkedIn Live presentation, this episode features Meagan Krift, Vaco division director, and Dylan Sutton, Vaco associate director, sharing their latest experiences and taking viewer questions. Listen in as they discuss the joys, challenges, and rewards of being a WFH parent.

How do you thrive during moments of transformation? Vaco’s CEO Jerry Bostelman recently sat down with Michael Breed, renowned instructor, dynamic TV personality, and MorganFranklin Consulting ambassador. Together, they discussed navigating change, overcoming adversity, and preparing for success, both in business and in life, to achieve peak performance. Here is part of that conversation. Enjoy the show.

In Part 2 of this series, our Vaco all-stars (and two incredible parents) continue the discussion how they are managing their new routines, especially as WFH parents. Taken from a recent LinkedIn Live presentation, this episode features Meagan Krift, Vaco division director, and Dylan Sutton, Vaco associate director, offering more creative ideas for families to be more productive and successful while working together at home.

In today’s fast-changing world, business leaders everywhere are looking for strategies to adapt to the “new normal.” Adam Charlson, managing partner with Focus Search Partners, a Vaco Company, recently sat down with three recession-savvy sales executives to get their insight on updating the sales playbook. In this episode, Adam sits down with John Turner, chief revenue officer for the Security vertical at Google Cloud, formerly known as Chronicle. John shares his advice for dealing with downturns, which includes, among many great ideas, to keep calm and carry forward.

In today’s fast-changing world, business leaders everywhere are looking for strategies to adapt to the “new normal.” Adam Charlson, managing partner with Focus Search Partners, a Vaco Company, recently sat down with three recession-savvy sales executives to get their insight on updating the sales playbook. In this episode, Adam and Scott Lovett, senior vice president of global web and security sales with Akamai, discuss what it means to lead and serve “in the moment,” which includes keeping your sales cadence, being comfortable with variables, and valuing the people on your team.

In today’s fast-changing world, business leaders everywhere are looking for strategies to adapt to the “new normal.” Adam Charlson, managing partner with Focus Search Partners, a Vaco Company, recently sat down with three recession-savvy sales executives to get their insight on updating the sales playbook. In this episode, Adam speaks with Tom Schodorf, industry consultant and former SVP of worldwide sales for Splunk, about his thoughts on running lean, maintaining culture, and making prudent investments (and testing them). According to Tom, there’s always opportunities!

Parents everywhere are learning what it’s like to work from home while their kids are home all day too. In the third installment of “Brainstorming from the Bunker,” two Vaco all-stars … and incredible parents … discuss how they are managing their new routines. Taken from a recent LinkedIn Live presentation, this episode features Meagan Krift, Vaco Division Director, and Dylan Sutton, Vaco Associate Director, offering ideas for families to be more productive and successful while working from home.

When it comes to COVID19, employees and teams everywhere are being affected in countless ways. In this second installment of “Brainstorming from the Bunker,” Amanda Henley, Vaco’s Chief Marketing Officer, and Tracey Power, Vaco’s Chief People Officer, join from remote locations to share how Vaco’s responding to the challenge. Listen in as Amanda and Tracey share how Vaco is helping its team members stay engaged and offer ideas for communicating through tough times.

As we get used to these strange new times, this is the first in a series we’re calling “Brainstorming from the Bunker.” In this episode, Amanda Henley, Vaco’s Chief Marketing Officer, discusses Vaco’s response to COVID-19 with Jerry Bostelman, Vaco’s Founder and CEO. Listen as Jerry shares his eternally optimistic thoughts on how Vaco is closer now more than ever in its support of clients and team members.

Welcome to the Free Yourself! Podcast from Vaco. Here is a Sneak Peek!

Many are making the move to hot markets to take advantage of the growing job opportunities in those areas. If you’re planning a move or already started, it’s important to get plugged into the labor market, establish relationships, and find your path to success. In this episode, Jeff Haithcoat is joined by Vaco Executive Recruiter Jessica Kashyap and together share their thoughts on how you can leverage all the available opportunities and Free Yourself!

We all know how tough it can be to find the right talent your business needs. We also know how tough it can be as a potential candidate to find the right company that compliments your skills. In this episode, Kim Wainwright, Managing Director and Financial Practice Leader at Vaco sits down with Vaco Executive Recruiters Jessica Kashyap and Kaylee Osland who provide practical advice you can use to execute a successful talent search party and Free Yourself!