About Valkre
Valkre is a Chicago-based software company founded in 2008. Our purpose is to improve the speed of collaboration between suppliers and customers in Business-to-Business (B2B) markets. Valkre has created a breakthrough Customer Value Management system that has been built with GE and other leading B2B companies. The journey involved two significant endeavors: First, the innovation of a world class methodology called Differential Value Proposition (DVP), establishing the process necessary to achieve Customer Value Management. Second, the building of Render, cloud-based software that enables a company to own a cost effective Customer Value Management system that is sustainable and scalable. The speed driven by Render and DVP helps suppliers and customers stay ahead of competitive offerings by aligning on value and innovation needs. The result is increased profitable growth.
Leadership
Jerry Alderman is an entrepreneur, founder, and chief executive officer of Valkre Solutions, Inc. Valkre was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Valkre is a software tools and services company whose primary mission is to develop capability within Business-to-Business (B2B) companies to use "deep customer understanding" to build and execute customer-driven strategies and operating plans. The software product Render®, which makes this possible, is revolutionizing the way B2B companies interact with their customers and drives results. Jerry and his team have worked with a who's who of companies, including Owens Corning, GE, Kimberly Clark, Turtle Wax , RR Donnelley, and more.
Prior to founding Valkre, Inc., Jerry was a senior vice president for Exogen. During his tenure dating to 2001, he led and developed his innovative approach to building corporate competitive advantage through using and executing on unique, deep customer insights. Jerry demonstrated that in good markets or bad, the benefits of operating with an advantaged customer perspective yields results. In down markets, the benefits are knowing better than competitors how value is created and the waste of nonvalue-adding activities and investments. During good markets, the results come from making smarter investments than competitors. In all cases, Jerry built a reputation for getting sales and marketing organizations into action on initiatives that have been customer informed. Jerry started his business career at Boise Corporation where he spent 12 years learning and experiencing the unique challenges of B2B companies. During his time at Boise, he served in many roles, including manufacturing engineer, sales professional, sales and marketing management, product development, and general management.
Before starting his business career, Jerry served six years on nuclear submarines as a Naval Officer through the Admiral Rickover program. During this time, he participated in special operations on fast-attack subs and stealth missions on ballistic missile submarines and through these experiences, gained a deep respect for the capability of high-performing teams and the power of technology and innovation to drive outcomes. These experiences, combined with a Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering, a Master’s Degree in Nuclear Engineering, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business provide a broad base of problem-solving skills from which Jerry grounds his work.
Alderman's recognition as a thought leader is growing and he continues to contribute to the advancement of business science through his practice, speaking, writing, and academic contributions.
Brian spent over 12 years focusing on the strategies, processes, and technologies of Differential Value Proposition (DVP) and Customer Relationship Management. He worked in many industries including telecommunications, finance, insurance, health care, building materials, and technology. As a result, he has extensive practical experience in general management, eCommerce, B2B marketing and sales, and change management.
Brian holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BS in Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Matthew began his career 13 years ago in software consulting when he helped save the world from the Y2K bug. Since then, he gained extensive experience managing software development projects and driving business results for two previous start-ups, as well as larger corporations in various industries including: energy, insurance, consumer goods, communications, and risk management. He brings an eye for design optimization, engineering creativity, and social media awareness.
Matthew is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with degrees in Psychology and Business Administration.
Gabriel brings experience from a variety of environments including small start-ups and large corporations, and is proficient in a multitude of programming languages. Ever since he began programming at the age of 8, his interest in technology has kept him on the cutting edge. Combining these skills with business needs allows for the creation of powerful, fast, and scalable software.
Gabriel graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Computer Science.
Mitchell Lederer leads the Sales, Marketing and Business Development efforts for Valkre. Mitchell has over 25 years of sales, marketing and business development experience working with start-up and established businesses focused on the growth of revenue and profit. He has built national sales organizations focused on the delivery of services and products to Global 1000 corporations and financial institutions.
Prior to Valkre, Mitchell was President of a Loyalty and Rewards technology company and a partner at the St. Charles Consulting Group, a boutique-consulting firm focused on merger integration, process and knowledge management and salesforce optimization. Mitchell was also a senior executive with NewsEDGE Corporation from start-up to $40 Million revenue and a key leader in the company’s successful IPO with leading clients such as Lucent Technologies, GAP, Zurich Insurance Services, Quaker, and Honeywell. He also held executive posts at Arthur Andersen and Tribune Company developing and executing marketing and sales strategies in the media, technology and information services spaces. Mitchell began his career as a Managing Consultant with Data Resources, Inc. helping large organizations build financial and business models to forecast revenue, investment opportunities and asset utilization.
Mitchell holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in Finance and Organizational Behavior and a B.A. in Economics and Political Theory from Oberlin College.
Jeff leads the Professional Services team at Valkre. He has spent several years helping to develop and refine the Differential Value Proposition (DVP) methodology in the marketplace and devotes most of his time to helping clients leverage the DVP tools and playbook to enhance customer engagement and deliver profitable growth within their organizations.
Jeff has over 10 years' experience developing and executing growth strategies for a broad spectrum of companies ranging from early-stage startups to large multinational organizations. His experience extends across multiple industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, media, and technology.
Jeff holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BS in Business Economics from UCLA.
Michael has 15 years of experience selling consulting services, growing revenues and implementing lasting change. His time working for the Strategy Consulting group of Accenture and for ConAgra Foods, supporting the Marketing and Sales teams, provides Michael the unique combination of leading change both from the "outside" and "inside." He has rich experiences helping Fortune 1000 companies grow revenues and increase profits through improved customer contact strategies (sales, pricing, marketing and coaching), and strong capabilities in leadership, team building and journey management.
Michael holds an MBA from the University of Michigan Business School and a BS in Finance from Providence College. He earned his CPA while working for KPMG.
Jay has over 10 years of experience developing and executing strategies in sales and marketing, product development, and operations. In his role he is primarily responsible for helping Valkre's clients implement the DVP methodology and Render software within their organizations. Prior to Valkre, Jay held management positions at both Fortune 1000 and fast-growing technology companies, where he worked to grow top-line revenue and improve business performance, particularly through customer-driven strategic plans. He started his career in public accounting with Ernst & Young, and his experience extends across a broad range of industries – including media, technology, telecommunications, consumer products, and retail.
Jay holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BBA in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame.
Board of Advisors
Glenn is the former National Practice leader of Management Consulting at Grant Thornton and a former Partner of Ernst & Young.
Jim is the former COO of FMC Corporation and currently serves on eight corporate boards. His focus throughout his career has been on growth strategies.
