Nurturing & Growing

Creating a positive work environment fosters employee well-being, productivity, and growth. If companies intend to turn their workplace into a great workplace, they need to give attention, care, and a purpose. When a team is refreshed, empowered, and well supported by their company, the impact is felt by customers, the community, and the industry. And it is no surprise that Cydcor—a leading outsourced sales company headquartered in Agoura Hills, California—gained recognition for its work environment and business results.

The Los Angeles Business Journal has honored Cydcor by ranking it as one of the Best Places To Work 2023. But Cydcor is no stranger to this award: the Journal has now recognized it a monumental eleven times.

Vera Quinn, CEO & President of Cydcor, believes that a company's culture and growth do not come from one singular person. It comes from a team. She has assembled an incredible Leadership Team that has been instrumental in Cydcor's growth. The Cydcor Leadership Team focuses on innovation, and they have a yearly structure and cadence for their strategy planning. This has enabled the company to diversify its client portfolio and expand into different sales channels. Vera and the Leadership Team have created a culture built on integrity and collaboration, which has helped Cydcor land on Los Angeles Business Journal's Best Places to Work 11 times.

The development of the employees is one of Cydcor's behaviors. They value it, and Vera understands the importance of investing in talent development. The management team has all learned Cydcor's "PDP" process, where every team member at Cydcor has a personal development plan that focuses on their values, vision, goals, and opportunities for growth. Cydcor has a "promote from within philosophy." "We want people from within our business to be the people that take on the big challenges and build the company," explains Vera. "Most of the Leadership Team, including me, started with Cydcor in entry-level or early management roles and have experienced different roles and departments throughout their careers here." Hence, Vera encourages individuals to take ownership of their roles, fostering a sense of purpose and driving long-term growth within the organization.

Vera sets the example here. She is the most prominent student in the entire company. She reads a new book every week. And she brings others along with her, recently taking an Executive Education class from Northwestern on AI Applications for Growth along with members from Cydcor's IT Team.

The pioneering leader started with Cydcor when she was 20. Vera began her journey with one of the independently owned sales offices as a recruiter, then started her business as a hub manager, then moved to Cydcor 25 years ago. She began at Cydcor making payments and has done almost every job here before eventually moving into the CEO role in 2020. While the timeline may vary for each individual, Vera believes in staying true to one's vision, maintaining a growth mindset, and embracing failures as opportunities are vital for growth.

By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, data-driven insights, and a highly skilled network of sales offices, Cydcor delivers unparalleled value to clients while providing opportunities to individuals who choose to work in one of its independently owned sales offices. One of Cydcor's most significant achievements is its consistent delivery of measurable results for its clients while maintaining a strong focus on integrity. "All of our clients want more customers, and we pride ourselves on taking the time to explain the product or service and bringing our clients customers who stay. We are proud to have earned DirecTV's prestigious Dealer of the Year award 7 years in a row," adds Vera proudly.

Looking ahead, both Vera and Cydcor are poised for continued growth and success. They are committed to staying ahead of the technology curve and leveraging innovation to drive efficiency in their sales process. From expanding into new verticals to embracing emerging trends, the company remains focused on delivering exceptional value to the clients while empowering the team members to thrive in an ever-changing landscape.

For Vera personally, she believes she is a custodian of the business, and her responsibility is to make the industry better before handing the responsibility off to the next CEO. She is also working towards her philanthropic responsibilities, and the entire company takes a day to volunteer at a local non-profit twice a year. YPO is an organization Vera joined 8 years ago, and it has transformed the way she does business. Her forum is essential to who she is and where she is professionally and personally. In 2015, Vera visited Liberty Children's Home in Belize, and it changed her life. She continued to visit and give her time, and eventually, she took on the financial responsibility for Liberty. Liberty is an organization that Vera personally supports, and Cydcor supports as well. "Our network of independently owned sales offices have rallied around Liberty and continues to raise money and visit multiple times a year. Our goal is 4-5 trips/year where we bring people at Cydcor or field leadership to do projects and spend time with the kids," concludes Vera.