Business Value · Value Engineering · AI Transformation

Cory Theobald

I help enterprises and technology sellers quantify, fund, and scale digital transformation — turning AI, CRM, ERP, and platform investments into board-ready business cases that get deals funded.

Email: corytheobald@outlook.com Mobile: (309) 445-0851 Location: Gilbert, AZ (Remote) MBA — ASU W.P. Carey · BS Finance — BYU Marriott
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$200M+
Enterprise transformation investments supported at Microsoft
$66.3M
TCV secured in FY24 ($17.4M ACV)
$42M
Open pipeline built and managed in FY25
$100M+
Closed in 2026
15 yrs
Enterprise transformation advisory and value engagements

How I Can Help

Three ways to put 20 years of finance, transformation advisory, and value selling to work on your biggest technology decisions.

Business Value Assessment

A board-ready business case for a major platform, AI, or transformation investment. Discovery, financial model (ROI, NPV, payback, TCO), executive deck, and presentation support — built to survive CFO scrutiny.

Fixed scope · 3–6 weeks

Fractional Value Engineering

A value engineering practice without the headcount. Ongoing deal support, reusable value frameworks and calculators tailored to your offerings, and coaching that makes business value part of every pursuit.

Monthly retainer

Value-Selling Enablement

Workshops and curriculum that teach your team to sell outcomes, not features — from someone who built a global sales training program from scratch and 40+ reusable value frameworks.

Workshop series or program build
Discuss your project

Case Studies

Recent engagements, anonymized. References and detail available in conversation.

Competitive Displacement

$22M CRM displacement at a global chemicals company

The pursuit team had a rough starting point: no direct discovery access and a deeply entrenched incumbent. I built a credible baseline of the incumbent's true spend from public information and partner materials, tore down the total cost of ownership, and iterated the case for six weeks until it was executive-tight.

Business case validated by a scrutinizing CCO and CIO/CFO — and adopted as the pursuit team's standard playbook for large deals.

Business Case → Revenue

Sales & revenue acceleration case for a Fortune 500 manufacturer

Rather than a vendor pitch, I built the business case the customer's own champions could carry to their internal decision-makers — quantified value levers, financial model, and a narrative in their language, adapted after coaching from their account team on exactly how this customer thinks.

"Millions of dollars in revenue" attributed to the case by the account team; competitive takeout of the incumbent CRM; internal award nomination for the approach.

Value-Selling Enablement

Building value-selling muscle across a global field organization

Business value expertise doesn't scale if it lives in one person. I ran standing office hours coaching sellers on integrating outcome narratives into live opportunities, built a library of 40+ reusable value frameworks and calculators, and personally mentored three colleagues into the business value role.

A field team that leads with value on its own — mentees independently running value conversations, and reusable assets in play across pursuits long after the original engagements closed.

Marketable Skills

Each skill is backed by named evidence from 4.5 years of performance reviews and peer feedback.

Business Case & BVA Development

Board-ready business cases quantifying ROI, NPV, payback for deals from six figures to $100M+ TCV.

$22M CRM displacement · $17.6M supply chain win

Financial Modeling & TCO Analysis

Executive financial models, competitive TCO teardowns, and credible baselines that survive CFO scrutiny.

"Believable and appreciated by a scrutinizing CCO and CIO/CFO"

Competitive Displacement Strategy

Value narratives that win head-to-head against entrenched incumbents and hyperscaler competitors.

Multiple incumbent-CRM takeouts · head-to-head hyperscaler win

Executive Workshops & Storytelling

Discovery sessions, visioning engagements, and C-suite readouts across Fortune 500 organizations.

"Consulting, listening, and steering the group to an incredible outcome"

Reusable IP & Framework Design

Value framework libraries, ROI calculators, maturity assessments, and interactive HTML value tools that scale across teams.

40+ templates · "Should become a standard playbook"

AI & Copilot Value Realization

Quantified AI transformation cases: Copilot design wins, agentic AI models, AI-enabled seller productivity (Project SPARK).

AI Copilot design wins · Project SPARK

Sales Enablement & Training

Built a global sales training curriculum from scratch at JDA/Blue Yonder; ran business value office hours and coaching at Microsoft.

80%+ methodology adoption · 2.5-year global curriculum

Mentorship & Practice Building

Repeatedly onboarded and coached others into the Business Value Manager role.

Kristin Amenson · Tammy Futa · Hans (Canada)

Audience Adaptation

Consistently praised for reading the room and reshaping message, demeanor, and PoV to fit each customer and stakeholder.

"Simply remarkable the different way he showed up"

What People Say

Verbatim quotes from Microsoft Connect peer feedback and manager reviews, 2022–2026.

"Amazing work together on the [$22M competitive CRM switcher opportunity]! … You were given a rough starting point and kept iterating on it over 6 weeks until it became something truly tight and executive-ready… Your final result was believable and appreciated by a scrutinizing CCO and CIO/CFO. What you built [there] is repeatable — it should become a standard playbook for large pursuits!"

Scott Evans · Dir Specialist Biz Apps · Apr 2026

"Cory has an exceptional ability to construct compelling business value cases that resonate with our customers… His talk track is consistently top-notch… instrumental in closing significant deals, such as [an 8,000-seat win with a global materials manufacturer]."

Jordan Kegler · Sr Specialist PLAT · May 2024

"Cory, super impressed with your value engineering skills. Your business value management asset creation skill is, all round, first-class."

Neil Milligan · Dir Specialist Biz Apps · Nov 2023

"Delivered BVAs for [three major manufacturers]. These efforts already have resulted in millions of dollars in revenue at [one] and were crucial in justifying their investment with Microsoft."

Julian Erickson · Sr Specialist · Apr 2025

"Your deep understanding of business value, the cost of delay, and your ability to create a sense of urgency have proven to be invaluable assets… a huge reason why we were able to secure the win [for a key industrial account]."

Chad Jarry · Sr Specialist DYN ERP · May 2024

"You delivered a strong year against your FY26 goals, with clear impact in both customer work and practice development… you contributed repeatable value through Project SPARK, repeatable BV POVs, and 3 use cases in ETP."

Manager comments · Apr 2026 Connect (final review)

"The team was in a difficult position regarding lack of discovery and no direct customer involvement. Cory built our position against a slide deck provided by [a competing consultancy]… delivered a great set of perspectives… very open to feedback and brought no ego to the process."

Michael Cole · Dir Specialist · Apr 2026

"I witnessed Cory completely change his normal demeanor to suit a customer's way of thinking, talking, and interacting… it was simply remarkable the different way he showed up to match this particular customer."

Kristin Amenson · Sr Specialist · Apr 2024

"He embodied everything you would desire in a coach and mentor… he didn't just 'yes' me but offered me areas to think about how I might handle things differently in a way that made it feel supportive."

Kristin Amenson · Sr Specialist · Nov 2022

"Cory is always available and willing to help support my business value requests even in the absence of information up front. He's willing to jump into customer conversations and pivot on the fly — invaluable on my pursuits with [three strategic manufacturers]."

Michelle Dilanian · Dir Specialist · Apr 2025

"Really appreciated the work on [a global chemical company’s] contact center… Strong business case to tie between productivity, cost improvements, and customer benefits."

Mike Nicholls · Sr Specialist · Apr 2026

"Cory does a great job of being a strong business partner to the manufacturing team. He provides value and strategic thought leadership… and really helps to push the needle in order to get deals across the line."

Rachel Hubbard · Sr Dir Specialist Mgmt · Apr 2025

"You flawlessly bring people together and make them do their best work by inspiring them. You have such a vast network in such a small time that we can always count on you when we need help."

Rami Ahmed · Sr Specialist · Sep 2023

"You are an incredibly methodical thinker and developer of contextual content that speaks to both internal and external audiences."

Talor Boatsman · Consulting Account Dir · May 2024

"Cory brings a calm, grounded presence that consistently builds trust with both customers and teammates… his thoughtful, patient approach helps customers feel comfortable opening up about their true business challenges."

Tammy Futa · Sr Specialist · Apr 2026

"Several pursuits I worked with — across [several major manufacturing pursuits] — you pivoted very well to present a changing value narrative. Your knowledge of value levers across CE/F&O and Power workloads is commendable."

Ninja Subramanian · Dir Specialist · Apr 2025

"Cory works tirelessly with little reprieve to produce BVA materials & always has a Can-Do attitude & willingness to help the team. It does not go unnoticed."

Scott Douglass · Account Director Major · Apr 2025

Resume

20 years across value engineering, enterprise sales, and finance.

Jan 2022 – Jul 2026

Business Value Manager, AI Business Solutions

Microsoft · Gilbert, AZ  |  Promoted in scope: ABS GBB BVM Americas Manufacturing & Automotive Lead (Nov 2025)
  • Trusted advisor to enterprise executives — board-ready business cases and value strategies supporting $200M+ in AI, CRM, ERP, customer service, and supply chain investments, including $100M+ TCV engagements.
  • Contributed to major enterprise wins including a $17.6M supply chain deal, a $15.1M retail platform win, a $13M ERP win, an $8.3M supply chain execution win, and a $22M competitive CRM displacement.
  • Multiple competitive takeouts of the incumbent CRM vendor; AI Copilot design wins at two marquee accounts.
  • Quantified the value behind Project SPARK, an AI-enabled seller outreach motion on Dynamics 365 CIJ — working cross-functionally with the program lead, marketing, and sales to prove productivity gains and expand the program beyond the business apps unit.
  • Designed reusable value frameworks, ROI models, and benchmarking tools that scaled value-based selling globally.
  • Awards: Titanium Award ($1.2M ACV win); Living Our Culture nominations (competitive business case; TCO model).
Aug 2014 – Dec 2021

Value Engineer, Transformation Advisory · Sales Effectiveness Manager

JDA / Blue Yonder · Scottsdale, AZ
  • Delivered complex onsite value assessments contributing to $14M in software revenue across retail, manufacturing, and logistics.
  • Led in-depth process and financial analysis at customer locations to guide business transformation.
  • Supported internal strategic projects, including value analysis on strategic alliances with large global partners.
  • Authored and directed a global sales training curriculum from scratch over 2.5 years, partnering with sales leadership and sales operations.
  • Drove adoption of standardized account planning methodology to 80%+ across North American Manufacturing Sales.
May 2011 – Apr 2014

Client Executive / Client Representative

IBM · Phoenix, AZ & Bloomington, IL
  • Managed IBM services, software, and hardware resources into cohesive solution strategies for enterprise customers.
  • $19M+ in long-term services signings (2013) on a Fortune 100 insurance integrated account team, including $2M+ by leveraging IBM business partners.
  • Increased GTS long-term signings pipeline 50% through focused account planning; grew new-acquisition pipeline 20% in three months.
  • As MBA intern, optimized business development processes supporting $250M+ in signings and led strategic analysis for annuity services opportunities exceeding $500M.
2005 – 2010

Financial Analyst Roles

PetSmart · OVISO Manufacturing · US Airways
  • Saved $4.9M in telecom, maintenance, and project costs at PetSmart; improved employee productivity 50% through reporting metrics analysis.
  • Prepared $200M cash reconciliation for audit at OVISO; increased cash reporting productivity 60% by integrating reports across Chinese and domestic acquisitions.
  • Captured $60K+ in monthly telecom credits at US Airways through contract renegotiation; cut invoice turnaround 40% with an improved tracking database.
2009 – 2020

President, Board of Directors

Legacy Traditional Schools · Maricopa, AZ
  • Governed 16 charter schools with a $130M operating budget.
Education

MBA, Strategic Marketing & Services Leadership — ASU W.P. Carey (2012)

President, Strategic Marketing Association
BS, Business Administration – Finance — Brigham Young University (2005)
Two-year volunteer church service, Philippines

Work Samples

Representative deliverables from the archive (824MB of decks, financial models, and interactive value tools built 2022–2026).

Renewal & Expansion Value Case

ABC Customer — Dynamics 365 Renewal + Extension Value Case

Business value model letting executives flex assumptions in real time — a differentiated format peers called "a crowd pleaser every time."

View slides →
Competitive Business Case

Chem Co — D365 Proposal ($22M CRM Displacement)

Incumbent-CRM spend teardown, credible cost baseline, and pain-point analysis built without direct discovery; validated by CCO and CIO/CFO.

View slides →
Executive BVA Deck

Manufacturing Customer — Sales & Revenue Acceleration BVA

The internal-decision-maker business case behind a competitive CRM takeout; earned a Living Our Culture award nomination and "millions in revenue."

View slides →
Financial Model

Company XYZ — BVI Financial Model + ERP BVA

Full ERP modernization value assessment pairing a board-level deck with a working financial model.

View slides →
Contact Center Transformation

Company X — Contact Center Transformation Business Value

Business case tying productivity, cost improvement, and customer benefit levers; praised by the pursuit team as the model for the next phase of the pursuit.

View slides →
Value Framework Library

Reusable BVI Templates — 9 Solution Areas

D365 full module suite, Power Platform, Customer Insights, Fraud Protection, Healthcare/Government special cases — decks plus calculation engines.

Maturity Assessments

CRM / ERP / Inventory Maturity Tools (HTML)

Self-serve diagnostic tools with maturity radar and KPI intake — productized discovery instruments.

AI Productivity Motion

Project SPARK — AI-Enabled Seller Outreach

Repeatable seller outreach model on Dynamics 365 CIJ with quantified productivity improvements; called out in final manager review.

Pilot Measurement

Shipping Co — D365 Pilot Metrics Framework

Value realization framework defining success metrics for a proof-of-concept — evidence of post-sale value tracking, not just pre-sale promises.

View slides →

Performance Trend, 2022 → 2026

Trajectory across 11 Connect reviews: individual contributor → award-winning deal partner → practice leader.

FY22–23 · Establish

A $1.08M low-code platform deal at a Fortune 50 retailer, with a reused use-case library. A $1.2M ACV distribution win earns the Titanium Award. Begins mentoring others into the BV role.

FY24 · Scale

~$11.8M MFG pipeline; $66.3M TCV / $17.4M ACV secured. An 8,000-seat platform win. TCO "Buy Now vs Later" model earns a rewards nomination.

FY25 · Differentiate

$42M open pipeline. Six market-making wins across manufacturing, logistics, retail, and hospitality. A head-to-head win against a hyperscaler competitor; incumbent-CRM takeouts; Copilot design wins. Living Our Culture nomination.

FY26 · Lead

Promoted to Americas MFG & Automotive BVM Lead. Embedded strategic partner on a ~$12M ACV pursuit and two Fortune 500 chemical-industry "crack team" engagements. Launches Project SPARK. Final review: "clear impact in both customer work and practice development."

About

Cory Theobald

I've spent 20 years helping leaders make big decisions with financial clarity. I started as a financial analyst — airlines, manufacturing, retail — before spending more than a decade as a value engineer and business value leader inside two global enterprise software companies, where my business cases supported over $200M in technology investment decisions.

My approach is simple: a decision-maker deserves a number they can believe. That means credible baselines, conservative math, and a story that holds up in front of the toughest CFO in the room. Colleagues describe my work as "first-class," "believable," and — my favorite — "a crowd pleaser every time."

I hold an MBA from ASU's W.P. Carey School of Business and a finance degree from BYU. Away from client work, I spent eleven years as board president of a sixteen-school charter network with a $130M operating budget. I live in Gilbert, Arizona with my wife and our ten children — so I know something about building a business case under scrutiny.

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