Senior Consultants
In addition to our senior team, Valtera's work is conducted with oversight by one or more of our Senior Research Scientists.
Susan H. Coverdale, Ph.D., Principal
Scott A. Young, Ph.D., Principal
Benjamin Schneider, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow
Joel Moses, Ph.D., Senior Practice Fellow
Bernadette Janssen, M.Sc., Managing Consultant
Phil Jury, Ph.D., Managing Consultant
Mark A. LoVerde, Ph.D., Managing Consultant
Catherine C. Maraist, Ph.D., Managing Consultant
Mark H. Strong, Managing Consultant
Susan H. Coverdale, Ph.D.
Principal
Dr. Susan H. Coverdale is a Principal at Valtera. Her primary responsibilities include development and validation of employee selection systems. Before joining Valtera, she worked as an independent consultant providing human resources consulting services in the areas of employee selection, performance evaluation, training program development and facilitation, employee surveys, executive assessment and coaching, succession planning, and management development.
Prior to establishing her own consulting business, Dr. Coverdale provided consulting services through HReasy and Lopez and Associates, Inc. She began her career as the Coordinator of Career Development for Conoco, Inc.
Dr. Coverdale received her Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Houston. She is a licensed Psychologist in the States of Texas and New York and is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Scott A. Young, Ph.D.
Principal
Dr. Scott A. Young joined Valtera in 1998 as a Consultant, and is now in the role of Principal. His specific responsibilities include consulting and research support in Valtera’s Organizational Diagnostics Practice Group in addition to overseeing the work of a team of Consultants and Managers of Client Services.
During his tenure at Valtera, Dr. Young has managed global employee survey processes for multiple Fortune 100 clients and consulted with many of Valtera’s clients in all project phases, including survey content development, data analysis, feedback and action planning, and executive presentations. He has used a variety of data analytic techniques to determine the appropriate structure and content of employee opinion surveys and to develop causal models of employee engagement, job satisfaction, and turnover. Furthermore, Dr. Young has conducted studies using employee survey data to predict individual turnover and group-level turnover as well as customer satisfaction. Additionally, he oversees Valtera’s U.S. and global employee survey benchmark projects, including research demonstrating the relationship between employees’ perceptions of customer service practices and company-level outcomes such as customer satisfaction and firm profitability. He has also been a significant contributor to the development of Valtera’s database of more than 1,000 “Best Practices” that help clients with their action planning programs.
Dr. Young has been heavily involved in the development of Valtera’s proprietary employee engagement content and related ongoing research on engagement. As part of this effort, he is one of Valtera’s four co-authors of Employee Engagement: Tools for Analysis, Practice, and Competitive Advantage, published by Wiley-Blackwell. He has also co-authored several journal articles and book chapters on topics such as organizational climate, customer service quality and climate, trust, and the use of technology in reporting survey data.
Dr. Young completed his undergraduate degree in Psychology and Economics at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, and then earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Northern Illinois University. He is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Benjamin Schneider, Ph.D.
Senior Research Fellow
After a distinguished career in academics, most recently at the University of Maryland, Dr. Benjamin Schneider joined Valtera in 2003. His research focuses on the linkage of employee survey data with important organizational outcomes.
Dr. Schneider's research has shown that there are important consequences for an organization having the right kind of personalities in jobs. His research has also demonstrated that carefully designed, strategically focused employee surveys can be linked to important organizational outcomes like customer satisfaction, loyalty and sales.
Dr. Schneider has received many awards throughout his career including the 2000 Scientific Contributions Award given by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology in recognition of a lifetime of scientific contribution to the field of I/O Psychology, the 2009 Herbert Heneman Career Contributions Award from the Human Resources Division of the Academy of Management, and the 2009 Michael Losey Research Contributions Award from the Society for Human Resources Management. He has been elected to Fellowship in the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the Academy of Management, and the International Association of Applied Psychology. He served as President of the Organizational Behavior Division of the Academy of Management and of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
An accomplished author, Dr. Schneider's book credits include Staffing Organizations, 3rd ed. (with R. Ployhart and N. Schmitt; Lawrence Erlbaum, 2006), Personality and Organizations (with D. B. Smith; Lawrence Erlbaum, 2004), Service Quality: Research Perspectives (with S. S. White; Sage Publications, 2004) and Winning the Service Game (with David E. Bowen; Harvard Business School Press, 1995).
Joel Moses, Ph.D.
Senior Practice Fellow
Dr. Joseph (Joel) Moses, a renowned leadership talent consultant and assessment center pioneer, joined Valtera in early 2007 as a Senior Practice Fellow. An expert in leadership identification and development, Dr. Moses offers unique insights into how to assess leaders facing today's wide array of global business challenges. His wealth of practical and professional business knowledge is sought after by researchers, practitioners, and business leaders. He has conducted leading edge research on how leaders and organizations cope with ambiguity and change. Some of his recent consulting activities have focused on helping organizations assess their bench strength as they undergo changes in their business strategy to ensure that they have the requisite leadership skills to meet future business challenges. In addition, he has served as an executive coach and advisor to many senior leaders as they transitioned into key roles. At Valtera he focuses on expanding Valtera’s Leadership Assessment and Development practice to set new global standards for assessment and coaching quality and effectiveness.
Prior to joining Valtera, Dr. Moses had more than 35 years of broad experience in executive assessment and coaching. He previously served as President and Co-founder of Applied Research Corporation, a consulting firm that delivers comprehensive assessment, coaching, transition leadership, and performance management services worldwide. In that role, he regularly consulted with major Fortune 100 corporations and professional service firms. Previously, he was Senior Corporate Psychologist and Director of the Advanced Management Potential Program at AT&T. Additionally, he has authored many articles and books, including the definitive text, Applying the Assessment Center Method. He has also served as a visiting professor at a number of American universities.
Dr. Moses has been active in multiple professional organizations, including the American Board of Professional Psychology, the American Society for Training and Development, and the Metropolitan New York Association for Applied Psychology. He is a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and is a recipient of their highest professional honor; the Distinguished Professional Practice Award.
Dr. Moses holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Baylor University in Texas, and an MBA and a B.S. from the City University of New York.
Bernadette Janssen, M.Sc.
Managing Consultant
In her role as Managing Consultant, Bernadette Janssen directs and carries out projects pertaining to Employee Engagement and Employee Opinion Surveys; Selection, Assessment, Career Counseling and Competence Based Coaching.
With significant applied experience in all aspects of learning and development, Bernadette Janssen has developed and managed HR-systems for Selection and Assessment, Performance Management, Leadership Development Programs, Competence Management, Learning, Diversity & Inclusion, Code of Conduct, and Employee Surveys. She has personally assessed hundreds of managerial and professional candidates, and has experience providing individual feedback and coaching to managers. Additionally, Ms. Janssen has corporate experience developing and managing Global HR-departments, systems and processes, as well as HR roles in the IT, Chemical and Pharmaceutical sectors.
Bernadette Janssen holds a Masters in Industrial Organizational Psychology from the University from Utrecht . She is a member of the Dutch and European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (E-WAOP); Dutch Association for Psychologists (NIP), The Dutch Association for Personnel Management & Organisation Development (NVP); Association for certified practitioners of SelfConfrontationMethod (VvZB), Association of HR and Management Development (NFMD).
Phil Jury, Ph.D.
Managing Consultant
Dr. Phil Jury has devoted his career to developing organizational development and assessment tools and interventions for corporations around the world. His organization consulting experiences include survey feedback, executive coaching and teambuilding, change management, culture enhancement and organization design. He has worked extensively with 360 degree feedback instruments designed to assess transformational leadership skills and other techniques that utilize survey information to help effect organization change. Prior to joining Valtera, Dr. Jury founded and led SPR Center since 1978.
Dr. Jury received his Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Minnesota, his undergraduate degrees from Gustavus Adolphus College and Finlandia University (Suomi College). Earlier educational experience included attending schools in the Midwestern U.S. and Manitoba, Canada.
Mark A. LoVerde, Ph.D.
Managing Consultant
In his role as Managing Consultant, Dr. Mark A. LoVerde directs and carries out projects pertaining to employee selection systems and leadership assessment, as well as organizational measurement using such tools as focus groups and opinion/engagement and other employee surveys. With significant applied experience in both private industry and consulting, Dr. LoVerde has developed, validated, and managed selection and assessment systems for a variety of jobs including managerial, technical, production, sales, and customer service. In addition, he has personally assessed hundreds of managerial and professional candidates using assessment centers and individual assessment tools. Dr. LoVerde also has experience conducting job analyses and competency modeling, and providing individual feedback and coaching to managers.
In addition to his experience with Valtera, Dr. LoVerde has corporate experience in assessment, human capital/organizational measurement, and HR roles with W.W. Grainger, Inland Paperboard & Packaging, and Ameritech, as well as additional consulting experience with AlignMark.
Dr. LoVerde holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology. Dr. LoVerde has authored or co-authored book chapters, articles, and presentations on employment testing, surveys, performance appraisal, and telecommuting.
Catherine C. Maraist, Ph.D.
Managing Consultant
Dr. Catherine C. Maraist is a Managing Consultant and Manager of Client Services at Valtera, where she manages 360-degree feedback surveys and employee opinion surveys, including employee engagement surveys. In addition to overseeing a team of Associates, her responsibilities include survey design, construction, administration, analysis and reporting. Further, she conducts executive coaching sessions with individuals specifically related to their 360-degree feedback reports.
In addition to her survey experience, Dr. Maraist has experience at Valtera within selection and assessment, including the development, implementation, and validation of employee selection systems as well as individual assessment and assessment center work.
Before joining Valtera, Dr. Maraist worked as a Research and Development Consultant at the Institute for Personality and Ability Testing (IPAT), where she was responsible for the development of new IPAT products and the validation of existing IPAT products. Prior to working for IPAT, Dr. Maraist worked as a Senior Psychometrician for the City of New Orleans Civil Service, where she developed and implemented selection systems for the police and fire departments.
Dr. Maraist received her Ph.D. degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Tulane University. She is a member of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the American Psychological Association.
Mark H. Strong
Managing Consultant
Mr. Strong has been with the Firm since 1993 and is a Managing Consultant with the Selection Practice Group in our Houston office. As part of his practice, he has managed projects for the development of selection and promotional systems, performance management and evaluation processes, competency models, compensation and job evaluation systems, and 360-degree feedback systems. He has worked with organizations across a wide variety of industries and with the widest range of jobs. He has developed and validated cognitive ability, situational judgment, mechanical aptitude, technical knowledge, and safety tests as well as behavioral and technical interviews for positions ranging from executives to entry-level.
Additionally, Mr. Strong has developed, implemented, and conducted individual assessments and assessment centers for jobs ranging from technical professionals (e.g., engineers, accountants) to supervisors and entry-level managers to senior managers, executives, and corporate leaders. Mr. Strong also serves as an executive coach, providing feedback and developmental guidance to managers and executives. He also has developed and conducts training programs for assessment center assessors, interviewers, and managers conducting performance appraisals.
Mr. Strong has provided litigation support to numerous organizations regarding disparate impact within selection, performance appraisal, promotion, discipline, and reduction-in-force systems. Mr. Strong has conducted research within a number of domains including safety improvements and accident reduction, employment interviewing, adverse impact, performance appraisal, personality and job performance, pre-employment test item analysis, reduction-in-force, international human resource practices, and physical abilities testing. He is a licensed psychological associate in the State of Texas and is a member of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the American Psychological Association.
Our Approach
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Clarity starts with precise, straightforward data – the evidence - not hunch, hope or anecdote. Learn More > -
It is one thing to have strategic goals but quite another thing to know what needs to be done to achieve those goals. Learn More > -
Does organizational science have an impact on your bottom line? Yes. Learn More > -
Sometimes the data you get from a survey report doesn’t tell the whole picture. Learn More >
