About Us
The Company
Ancora LLC is a provider of professional services in organizational development, talent management, leadership development and executive coaching. Grounded in each client’s specific needs and culture, Ancora is adaptive, nimble, practical in its approach, creative in its thinking, and decisive in its actions. We develop close working relationships to best serve our clients and consistently deliver what we promise.
Ancora specializes in working with organizations navigating change or transition, designing and implementing programs and processes where none previously existed, and, when needed, revising practices that no longer align with a company’s goals or may be impeding progress.
Highly collaborative, Ancora connects with leaders and employees at all levels—from the C-suite to craft labor—and draws on diverse industry experience to understand and navigate complex environments. No two companies are alike, and Ancora’s work reflects that. Partner with us to deliver high-quality, pragmatic solutions for your organization—on time and on budget.
Valerie M. Laborde - Founder and Principal
Valerie Laborde is an organizational consultant and certified executive coach with a diverse background in organizational development, talent management, leadership development and change management with multinational organizations. She has worked across multiple industries, including oil and gas, offshore construction, manufacturing, technology and finance, with global experience spanning Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. Valerie has extensive experience collaborating with C-suite executives on strategy development to enhance organizational effectiveness.
Valerie's corporate background includes approximately 17 years in leadership roles with notable global organizations, and 11 years as Founder and Principal of Ancora LLC, where she focuses on organizations in transition and companies undergoing financial turnaround. She excels in entrepreneurial environments and brings a practical, hands-on approach to both her consulting and coaching clients.
Valerie has a strong track record of designing and implementing global talent management strategies, programs and processes where none previously existed, integrating performance management, talent reviews, succession planning, targeted leadership development and executive coaching. She delivers large-scale organizational initiatives for clients, aligning internal communications programs with change management to ensure adoption of new strategies, processes, structures, and technology.
As an executive coach, Valerie brings a sense of urgency and focus to helping clients achieve their best outcomes through structured coaching processes, personality and behavioral assessments, multi-rater feedback and detailed development planning. She coaches leaders at all organizational levels, including the C-suite, senior management, regional and functional heads, and emerging leaders and works extensively with global executive teams to increase productivity through more effective team dynamics.
Valerie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tulane University and a PCC (Professional Certified Coach) credential through the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She is certified in multiple assessment instruments, including Hogan Assessments and Hogan 360; EQ-i 2.0 (Emotional Quotient Inventory) and EQ 360; Actualized Leader Profile (ALP) and ALP 360; Group Culture Profile; Change Style Indicator (CSI); DLP 360; DRiV Insights; and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). She is based in Houston, TX.
