ABOUT VERTICAL CAREERS, INC.
25+ Years of Seeing the Humans Behind the Tools.
Vertical Careers is an executive search and talent advisory firm—and 25+ years of lived evidence. aiair™ is a Human Operating System (hOS™) that grew from the patterns we kept seeing—in hiring, careers, leadership, process, technology, and the humans operating all of it.
The Short Version
Vertical Careers, Inc. was founded by Eva Chiu in 2012 after a decade inside the recruiting and staffing industry. The company was built to search more thoughtfully, communicate more honestly, and look beyond the resume to understand the human, business, leader, and environment behind each hire.
Over time, the same patterns appeared beyond recruiting. Organizations bought better tools but still struggled with adoption. Processes existed but humans worked around them. Strong professionals looked weaker on paper than they were in real life. Confident candidates were mistaken for credible ones. Visible problems kept receiving surface-level solutions.
aiair™ grew from one recurring question: What human problem are you trying to solve with that tool?
Vertical Careers ★ Parent, Foundation & Search Firm
Vertical Careers remains the parent business and executive search firm. We support organizations through retained and direct-hire search, interim and fractional talent, talent acquisition advisory, and recruiting-team development. We support professionals through career advisory, positioning, interview strategy, and transitions.
The original Vertical Careers identity represents the roots: recruiting expertise, market knowledge, relationships, credibility, and disciplined execution.
aiair™ ★ A Human Operating System
aiair™ is a Human Operating System (hOS™) developed under Vertical Careers. It helps identify and solve the Human Operating Problem (hOP™) beneath a visible hiring, career, leadership, performance, process, or technology symptom.
The 5 phases—assessment, identification, activation, implementation, and reinforcement—are simple enough to remember and flexible enough to use across different humans and different hOPs.
Same hOS™. Different hOPs.
Meet Eva Chiu
Eva is the founder of Vertical Careers, creator of aiair™, executive recruiter, talent advisor, Career Doc, UCLA alum, and lifelong observer of humans behind the tools.
Her recruiting career began in 2002 and grew through agency staffing, business development, executive recruitment, team leadership, and entrepreneurship. She has partnered with startups, founder-led businesses, private and public companies, and Fortune 200 organizations across accounting and finance, human resources, operations, supply chain, engineering, executive leadership, and other complex functions.
Eva’s work is grounded in curiosity before conclusions. She listens for what is not in the job description, what is not being said in the interview, what the process assumes, what the tool cannot see, and what human operating problem may be hiding beneath the visible one.
The humans who are easiest to miss are often the ones worth understanding.
CANDIDATE → CLIENT
Some Humans Have Been Both
Five relationships that crossed the table—from being represented by Eva to trusting her with their own hiring decisions.
“Eva has always worked hard for me as a service provider both for employment opportunities for hiring at my company and placing me at a new position. She is a consistent and tireless worker who is all about follow through.”
Jeff Altuna
Operations Controller ★ Candidate + Client
“As a candidate, what stands out is her drive, energy, dedication and commitment in finding the best fit. I have also worked with Eva as a client and would use the same words to describe her process.”
Ricardo Valdivia
Controller ★ Candidate + Client
“She helped us find the perfect candidate in a very short period of time. I was referred by her to my current company 13 years ago and I’ve grown my career in the company since.”
Ray Lei Ma
Accounting Manager ★ Candidate + Client
“She works hard, finds excellent candidates, screens them properly, and makes sure the whole process is as easy and painless as possible. I have dealt with her both as a candidate and as a hiring employer.”
Travis Kirsch
Vice President Finance ★ Candidate + Client
“I have partnered with Eva both as a candidate and now as a client. Her many years of experience and expertise are what separate her from others in the staffing industry.”
Rey Reyes
Controller ★ Candidate + Client
What We Believe
- The visible problem is rarely the real problem. Diagnose before prescribing.
- Confidence is not credibility. Listen beyond polish and presentation.
- Curiosity comes before selling. Understand the business and human first.
- Tools have power. Humans give direction. Technology reflects the choices and systems surrounding it.
- Humans are not inventory. Candidates, clients, leaders, and employees deserve honest communication and thoughtful decisions.
A Track Record Built on Focus, Not Volume
25+ Years
executive search, recruiting, human development, and talent advisory
5:1
submittal-to-hire ratio
90%+
placement retention
Bring the Visible Problem.
Whether it involves hiring, recruiting, leadership, a career decision, or a tool that is not producing the intended result, we will start by understanding what is happening now.
Humans Behind the Tools. ★ We Are the AIR.
Humans Behind the Tools. ★ We Are the AIR.
Executive Search ★ Talent Advisory ★ Career Strategy