Executive Brand Leader | Business Growth, Market Relevance, Organizational Alignment

Alex Valderrama

Senior brand and business leader with decades of experience helping organizations clarify market position, strengthen differentiation, and align brand strategy with growth. I have worked across startups, private companies, and nationally recognized brands to guide transformation, sharpen narrative, and build stronger connection between customer experience and business value.

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“There is no other brand expert I would rather work with than Alex Valderrama. He is strategic, perceptive, and a creative force that enables companies to take a step back and think about things differently. Working with our creative team, Alex motivated and managed our design team, facilitating the creative process and delivering above and beyond expectations. I highly recommend Alex. He will not disappoint.”

Lori L. Searls

Director of Marketing, Viaero Wireless

Executive Brand Leadership

My work sits at the intersection of emotional brand strategy, customer insight, growth planning, and executive alignment. I bring a human-centered approach grounded in a business-first mindset, viewing brand as a lever for trust, differentiation, market relevance, and long-term enterprise value.

I am now pursuing a Chief Brand Officer or senior brand leadership opportunity where I can bring that perspective in-house and help lead the next phase of growth.

What I Bring to Leadership Teams

Brand Strategy & Market Positioning: Clarifying who the organization is, where it competes, and why it wins
Growth-Oriented Brand Leadership: Connecting brand strategy to business goals, market relevance, and long-term value creation
Executive Alignment: Helping leadership teams create shared clarity across brand, marketing, sales, and customer experience
Repositioning & Transformation: Guiding organizations through inflection points, change, modernization, and strategic evolution
Customer Insight & Relevance: Translating audience understanding into stronger differentiation and market resonance
Team Leadership & Coaching: Developing people, strengthening capabilities, and helping teams operate with greater clarity and confidence

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Over the course of my career, I have led brand and marketing strategy work across organizations ranging from growth-stage businesses to nationally recognized brands. My experience includes executive leadership through Cranium, communications leadership with AIGA Tampa Bay, and community and business leadership as Past President of the Davis Islands Chamber of Commerce. I have worked with organizations including IBM Watson Health, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Fathom Events, and National CineMedia, helping teams navigate challenges involving market position, growth, customer connection, and brand clarity.

Branding

Brand research

Brand refresh expertise

Branding strategies

Brand development and analysis

Brand management

Brand architecture

Brand messaging development

Competitor analysis

Strategic business planning

Brand naming and strategies

Naming architecture development

Brand audits

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Marketing

Marketing plan development

Bring brands to life with storytelling strategies

Go-to-market strategies

Market analysis

Integrated marketing strategy development

Sales team support

Sales enablement strategies

New business development

Customer retention strategies

Advertising campaign development

Develop and implement campaign strategies

SEO (organic) and paid advertising strategies

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Design

Creative direction

Corporate, product and service logo design

Identity design

Graphic standards guide

Website design

Web app design

UX/UI design

Native mobile design

PowerPoint and presentation design

Corporate and service brochure design

Product packaging and promotional design

Direct mail/email campaign design

Trade show and event design

Awards & Education

I bring expertise in emotional brand strategy, visual design, and marketing direction. I help ambitious brands ready to stand out in crowded markets.

BRANDS TRANSFORMED

PUBLISHED WORK

AWARDS

International Academy of Design/Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)/Summa cum laude

Associate Degree in Graphics Arts

Selected as one of 26 seats from thousands of international applicants to attend the summer school – International Summer School for Arts (Bath, England)

Communications Director for AIGA Tampa Bay

President, Davis Islands Chamber of Commerce

Curriculum Advisor for Des Moines Area Community College Design Program, Des Moines, IA

Instructor of Advanced Design for Arapahoe Community College, Denver, CO

Instructor of Advanced Communications for Metropolitan State University, Denver, CO

Curriculum Advisor for Arapahoe Community College, Denver, CO

International Judge for the Pittsburg BizMark Awards

International Judge for the AIM Awards

Board Member for Business Marketing Association (BMA)

Board Member for AIGA Denver Chapter

Branding and Marketing Advisory Committee Member for Five Points Business District

Member of American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA)

Member of Art Directors Club

Lectures and provides working sessions regularly on marketing and branding topics at colleges, universities, associations, and corporate events

Selected Executive Achievements

Rebranded and repositioned Arcadia Settlements Group, supporting expansion to 160+ professionals across 50 offices throughout North America while strengthening market leadership and brand recognition.
Directed the strategic transformation of DenteVita Prosthodontics, driving increased patient acquisition, stronger market differentiation, and sustained growth over a 15-year client partnership.
Rebranded and repositioned Regional West Medical Center, strengthening community presence, aligning 32 medical specialties across 28+ physician clinics, and supporting physician recruitment across a regional network of nearly 300 providers.
Led the renaming and brand transformation of Big Screen into Fathom Entertainment, helping establish the company as a recognized leader in cinema entertainment with distribution across 2,000+ locations and global presence of 45+ countries.
Modernized the market position of a 50+ year-old real estate development firm, resulting in improved stakeholder engagement, enhanced reputation, and expanded business opportunities.
Developed the foundational brand platform for SPAVIA, creating a scalable franchise-ready brand architecture that supported national growth objectives.
Delivered executive brand strategy and market positioning initiatives for Fortune 500 organizations including IBM Watson Health, Microsoft, and Wells Fargo.
Founded and led Cranium Agency for more than three decades, helping organizations navigate startup launches, growth acceleration, enterprise transformation, and merger-related brand integration.

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I've worked with...

PLUS, MANY MORE EXCEPTIONAL BRANDS…

Let's Talk

Alex Valderrama

c: 303.475.1985
e: alex@cranium.biz

I’m always open to thoughtful conversations around brand leadership, marketing strategy, growth, and executive opportunities.

If you’re looking for someone who can help shape positioning, lead brand and marketing efforts, bring clarity to complexity, or strengthen the connection between strategy and market presence, feel free to reach out.

I’m especially interested in conversations with organizations navigating growth, reinvention, transformation, or increased market complexity.