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, the parent company of Workforce Intelligence, Financial Intelligence, and Guest 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, 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 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.

“It is an honor for me to join the incredible Black Box Intelligence 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, 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 the 2012 Women in Business Award from Dallas Business Journal.

Kelli is active in several industry organizations holding a seat on the founder's board of the Multi-Cultural Food Service Hospitality Alliance and is a board member of the 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.

About Black Box Intelligence (formerly TDn2K)

Black Box Intelligence is the parent company of Workforce Intelligence, Financial Intelligence, and Guest Intelligence. Workforce Intelligence provides service-sector human capital and workforce analytics for its members monthly. Financial Intelligence provides weekly financial and market-level data for the restaurant industry. Guest Intelligence delivers consumer insights and reveals online brand health. Black Box Intelligence membership represents 43,000 restaurant units, 2.5 million employees, and nearly $71 billion in sales.