Olivia Bustos

As Director of Finance and Service, Olivia Bustos oversees the accounts at American Ratings Corporation (ARC), but it’s not uncommon for her to step outside of her job description as needed. “I always say, ‘I just work here,’ because I like to help in any way I can, even if it’s not in my department,” she explains. Her cross-departmental tendencies may partially stem from the fact that she’s held multiple positions since starting with ARC in 2005. “I started as a receptionist and later became an accounting assistant. I already had some experience with accounting—my background is in marketing and business development—but I never expected to be doing it full-time, or managing an entire department for that matter.”

Today, Olivia says her favorite part of her job is the opportunity to help people at all angles. “At ARC, we serve two parties: our Diamond Certified companies and Bay Area consumers. We help companies put their best foot forward in marketing while helping consumers find companies that are reputable. Between us, the companies and the consumers, there’s a triangle, with each end helping the other, and I like being a part of that.”

A resident of Vallejo, Olivia likes to spend her time outside of work hanging out with her husband, Lewis, and their son, Matthew. “The three of us do a lot of different things together, often off-the-cuff,” she says. “We like to experience new things and new places, whether it’s trying new restaurants in town or traveling outside of the country every couple of years. Of course, Matthew has a lot of activities he’s involved in—mainly sports—so a lot of our weekends are centered on those.”

In her life and career, Olivia espouses the virtue of living intentionally. “I work hard and I play hard,” she asserts. “Whatever I’m doing, I try to do it with all my heart and with a great work ethic. I always want to be devoted to what I’m doing in the moment and, if possible, inject some fun and passion into it.”