Marilyn J. Ounjian is the founder and chief executive officer of CareersUSA, a national staffing firm specializing in temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire staffing services. CareersUSA's headquarters is located in Boca Raton, Fla. The firm services clients throughout the United States.

With 26 offices nationwide, a cutting-edge staffing and HR technology division, and a national accounts program, Ounjian has made her mark on the staffing industry since founding the company in 1981 in Philadelphia, Pa. However, her rise to success was far from adversity-free.

When financial hardship forced Ounjian from college, she found herself plunged into the workforce much sooner than she had planned. Luckily, she was a natural salesperson and quickly reached some measure of success in the staffing industry. But in spite of a stellar record of accomplishment, glass ceilings of the time kept her from any real advancement.

At 24-years of age, Ounjian secured financing to open her own staffing firm. However, she was forced to dissolve the business when critical government funding failed to materialize. The setback did not deter her and less than one month later, she bet on herself again and launched CareersUSA. With lessons learned from her previous venture, Ounjian aggressively addressed the needs of Philadelphia’s employment market and opened additional offices along the eastern seaboard. Before long, the investment she made in herself began paying off. By 1988, CareersUSA was recognized by Inc. Magazine as “One of America’s Fastest Growing Companies.”

Today, CareersUSA is a thriving national firm that is known as a pioneer in the world of web-based staffing and HR solutions. Its PerfectSOLUTIONS suite, including PerfectTIME® (time and attendance), PerfectPAY® (payroll), PerfectSKILLS® (skills assessments/training) and PerfectBILLS (invoicing) streamline HR operations for companies of any size.

Ounjian and CareersUSA have carved a distinct niche in South Florida’s employment landscape since she moved headquarters to Boca Raton in 1998. Her accolades include the South Florida Business Journal’s 2005 Business Woman and Business of the Year awards and being named a regional finalist for Ernst & Young’s 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year. There were tough times along the way, but tough times don’t last. Tough people do.

Ounjian and husband George have three children: Jennifer, Jonathan and Kori, who are active in the company. They have recently welcomed granddaughter Victoria to the family.