Danny Vargas -  Former Guest Speaker at the Leadership Institute

Danny Vargas has created opportunities, overcome challenges and beaten the odds all his life. As founder and president of award-winning VARCom Solutions, a D.C. area-based marketing, public relations and management consulting firm, he has made a mark not only in business but in the community as well.

VARCom’s clients include government contractors, technology/telecom firms, financial institutions, consumer-focused companies, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, political campaigns, and more. VARCom helps its customers define and execute results-oriented sales and marketing strategies, communicate more effectively with target constituencies, enhance their Web presence, develop Hispanic market outreach programs, manage their efforts more efficiently and thus become more successful.

Danny is a regular contributor in national media (in both English and Spanish), speaking on topics ranging from business, to politics, to international affairs, and more. He brings his considerable public relations, speaking and media skills to bear in all his efforts.

Danny has proven his leadership in the community as well. He was appointed by the U.S. Congress as a Commissioner on the National Museum of the American Latino Commission and by Governor McDonnell to the Virginia Workforce Council; selected National Co-Chair of the HIMSS Latino initiative (advancing Health IT in the Hispanic community); was Chairman of the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce (the first Hispanic to chair a mainstream chamber in the history of Virginia); serves on the board of the Fairfax Chamber, appointed to the advisory board of John Marshall Bank (the second-fastest growing bank in the country), was elected National Chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly; serves on the board of of Northern Virginia Family Service (a 501(c)(3) focused on empowering families); and he regularly speaks to students at various levels to encourage them to stay in school and work hard to succeed.

Danny was also an executive at AOL--first as VP of Global Sales for Voice Services, and later as VP of Latin America. Previously, Danny was VP of Sales and Marketing for the Americas for France Telecom’s carrier division where he developed and executed their U.S. market penetration plan and led the organization to reach a $100 million annual run rate within eight months of launch. Danny joined France Telecom after six years at Global One where as Director of Corporate and Carrier sales for the Americas Region (ranging from Canada to Chile) he generated over $140 million in revenue in 1999.

Before joining Global One, Danny worked for Raytheon Corporation playing a key role in expanding their business in the areas of training, operations and intelligence analysis support to the federal government. Danny served seven years in the U.S. Air Force, including five years in Panama where he supervised airborne reconnaissance missions routinely reporting on matters of national security.

Raised poor in New York City, Danny struggled and was determined to rise out of poverty. As the first person in his family to earn a degree, he is proud to give back to his community. He is a sought-after public speaker and is called upon to provide advice to highest echelons of business and government.

Danny Vargas