Valerie is an accomplished CEO and independent board member with more than 30 years of authentic and collaborative leadership experience that has included high-growth business building roles, start up and turnaround successes.

At A Glance

  • Owner, CEO At Your Service
  • Advisory Board Member, Larson Fruit Company
  • CEO and President, Snokist Growers
  • President, Artichoke Industries, Cara Mia Brand
  • President, Wornick Family Foods Company
  • CFO/COO, Keith Day Trucking, Inc.
  • COO, Farwest Fabricators, Inc.
  • Lecturer and Business Consultant, California State University Monterey Bay
  • Business Faculty Member, Heritage University

Key Leadership Accomplishments

  • Increased food production company top-line growth from $3 million to $100 million in 10 years in combination with igniting bottom line
  • Transformed and modernized a 40-year-old food processing business including construction of a highly automated plant, an increase in EBITDA from 8.5 percent to 24 percent and a doubling of shareholder value in four years
  • Saved a 100-year-old fresh and processed fruit company from bankruptcy and improved P&L results by $11 million in the first year. Created and executed an extensive redesign for a viable future.
  • Introduced successful joint venture partnerships to tree fruit industry. Designed and executed strategic plant upgrades including a state-of-the-art apple packing line that replaced three lines, as well as a plastic cup packing line joint venture with Tree Top to replace a decline in canned fruit market demand.
  • Advisor on M&A sale of a multi-entity, multi-family owned agricultural and food processing company
  • Following upgrades and enhancement of culture and profitability, negotiated sale of metal fabrication company to benefit owner exit

Bio

Valerie is an accomplished CEO and independent board member with more than 30 years of authentic and collaborative leadership experience that has included high-growth business building roles, start up and turnaround successes. She excels at financial and profit improvement accomplishments, using innovative well-crafted strategies and consensus building to inspire employees to peak performance while developing key business relationships. Her extensive and transferable skill set has allowed her to exceed expectations in the food processing, agriculture, manufacturing, metal fabrication, trucking and construction industries. Also, she has taught finance, business, and entrepreneurship courses at two universities. Valerie is a qualified financial expert with mergers and acquisitions and HR expertise, a speaker and National Association of Corporate Directors member who consistently delivers value in everything she undertakes.

Valerie holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and a BA in Psychology from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.