Wally Doolin and Kelli Valade Kick Off the Main Stage Event at Black Box Intelligence (formerly TDn2K)’s 2017 Global Best Practices Conference
Black Box Intelligence (formerly TDn2K) LLC, the parent company of Workforce Intelligence (formerly People Report), Financial Intelligence (formerly Black Box Intelligence) and Guest Intelligence (formerly Guest Intelligence (formerly White Box Social Intelligence))™ is delighted to announce that Kelli Valade, immediate past EVP & president of Chili’s® Grill & Bar, is joining the team as president and chief executive officer.
“As founders of Black Box Intelligence (formerly TDn2K), Joni and I have always invested in the very best talent we can find that shares our vision and values. Kelli is the right leader to help us to continue to build a world-class company committed to being a model and a catalyst to help our members balance people, profits and purpose,” said Wally Doolin.
“Black Box Intelligence (formerly TDn2K) research continues to connect the dots between the workplace and the marketplace and validate the impact of management culture on performance. No one is better qualified than Kelli to help our members make those connections and to continue to elevate the lives of employees and consumers,” said Joni Thomas Doolin, co-founder and current CEO of Black Box Intelligence (formerly TDn2K).
“It is an honor for me to join the incredible Black Box Intelligence (formerly TDn2K) team! I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned working alongside some of the most talented people in the restaurant industry at Chili’s and Brinker,” said Kelli Valade. “I grew up in the restaurants, led restaurants at Chili’s and now with this opportunity at Black Box Intelligence (formerly TDn2K), I look forward to making a larger impact on an industry I absolutely love.”
Kelli’s career at Brinker spans twenty-two years and touched every facet of the business, overseeing all aspects of domestic restaurant operations, marketing, franchising and PeopleWorks for the brand. She is recognized for her passion for operational excellence and deep commitment to the culture, being named to Nation’s Restaurant News’ 2018 Power list, Women Worth Watching in 2010 from Profiles in Diversity Journal and 2012 Women in Business Award from Dallas Business Journal.
Kelli is active in several industry organizations holding a seat on the founders board of the Multi-Cultural Food Service Hospitality Alliance and is a board member of Women’s Foodservice Forum. She previously served on the board of the National Restaurant Association.
Kelli holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Binghamton University in upstate New York and an MBA from Syracuse University. She, along with her husband Don, and two children, Morgan and Christian, live in Allen, Texas. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking Italian food, watching her children play basketball and traveling.
Joni Thomas Doolin, current CEO and co-founder, and Wally Doolin, current co-founder and chairman, will remain active in the business as co-founders and chairs of Black Box Intelligence (formerly TDn2K).
Black Box Intelligence (formerly TDn2K) is the parent company of Workforce Intelligence (formerly People Report), Financial Intelligence (formerly Black Box Intelligence) and Guest Intelligence (formerly Guest Intelligence (formerly White Box Social Intelligence))™. Workforce Intelligence (formerly People Report) provides service-sector human capital and workforce analytics for its members monthly. Financial Intelligence (formerly Black Box Intelligence) provides weekly financial and market level data for the restaurant industry. Guest Intelligence (formerly Guest Intelligence (formerly White Box Social Intelligence)) delivers consumer insights and reveals online brand health. Black Box Intelligence (formerly TDn2K) membership represents 43,000 restaurant units, 2.5 million employees and nearly $70 billion in sales. They are also the producers of leading restaurant industry events including the Global Best Practices Conference held annually each January in Dallas, Texas.
