About Cory
Cory Halbardier is the CEO of AccreAI, a business acquisions and Fractional Executive Consultancy focused on driving accretive growth for executives in the areas of operations, revenue and GenAI strategy.
His expertise is highlighted by his recent role as Chief Operating Officer at Blazeo (formerly ApexChat), where he spearheaded several transformative initiatives across the business. This included:
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- Growing revenue per lead by 108% over 2 years.
- Growing NRR by 9% YoY.
- Championing the adoption of generative AI, embedding it into daily workflows to enhance overall productivity.
- Increasing cross-sell rates by 60% YoY.
- Decreasing interdepartmental conflict, eliminating silos, and creating a strong remote work culture.
- Launching company-wide OKRs with waterfall to all departments, with aligned comp plans.
- Leading several strategic GenAI projects across the business.
Cory's career is marked by a strong track record of driving growth and operational excellence across various industries. He has consistently demonstrated an ability to scale businesses, optimize operations, and achieve significant revenue growth.
Previous roles include serving as CEO of Spacial, a private equity-backed housing-tech company, and Head of ADU Sales at Veev, a Series-D VC-backed construction technology company. In his earlier career, he drove significant results in leadership roles at major organizations: as Global Head of Telematics Business Development and Operations at Flex, a Global 500 company; as National Sales Director at SunEdison, once the world's largest renewable energy company; and as Director of Sales Operations and Customer Service at Soligent, the largest solar distributor in the US.
Other accomplishments include:
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- Increasing bookings from $2m to $10m in 8 months (Veev).
- Contracting with 5 of the 12 largest global customers (Flex).
- Leading a team to 1000% growth over 2 years (Martifer Solar).
- 50% increase in average annual contract value through successful pricing model change (Blazeo).
- 50% increase in sales team sales through new innovative sales comp plan (Blazeo).
- 35% reduction in project build time through bottleneck optimization (Martifer).
- Booked largest clients to date at Martifer, Hanwha, RGS Energy and Veev.
Cory holds an MBA in finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from UC Irvine. He is also actively involved in the technology community, serving on the board of advisors for BWG Strategy, an invitation-only network for senior executives in technology, media, and telecommunications.
Companies Served
Testimonials
I highly recommend Cory Halbardier for his outstanding leadership abilities. He led the company through key initiatives, such as the rebrand from ApexChat to Blazeo, and he instituted a new package price structure that significantly improved our market position. As Sales Director, I greatly benefited from Cory's support and guidance. He fostered a collaborative and high-performing environment. Cory is a strategic thinker, a supportive mentor, and an inspiring leader.
- Christin MacLeod, Director
Cory is a leader everyone wants. He is nurturing, keeps his cool, and always gives grace to everyone. He believes in people and always has their best interests in mind. He is not just a fantastic coach and an amazing business partner but also someone who leads by example and pushes himself to improve daily. He cares about his team and the company he is a part of. He empowers female leaders, which I don't see often in the SaaS and tech space. Working with Cory is a special treat!
- Krisztina Veres, Founder/CEO
I've had the pleasure of working with Cory at two companies now, and I simply can't recommend him enough! Cory has an incredible drive and is able to accomplish an amazing amount of things in a short period of time. He played an essential part in many of Blazeo's successes over the past 2 years and brought the organization, systems and modernization that this brand needed. He's been an incredible business mentor to me and many others in this organization.
- Ryan Cohn, Marketing Leader
Working with Cory is a real treat. He is driven, focused, and delivers. He is excellent with clients and is a great team member.
- Jim Orr, Vice President
Cory was a pleasure to work with over the years at Flex. He is one of the most positive, driven and accomplished people I have had the opportunity to work with. His ability to drive business and growth is impressive; a huge value to any team.
- Tess York, Vice President
If you're looking for someone who combines vision, execution, and leadership to drive meaningful growth—while also investing in the success of those around him—Cory is the person to connect with!
Richelle Taylor, Customer Success Leader
Cory appreciates the value of processes in both allowing a business to scale and to manage liabilities. Cory facilitates communication in the team to deliver a business process that is repeatable and scalable. No matter what Cory is experiencing in his day, he always has time for a cheerful hello.
- Matthew McCullough, Founder/CEO
Cory’s unique mix of productivity and ambition set many examples for the team to follow, and was key to why everyone appreciated working with Cory. His communication skills and his ability to distill massive amounts of data down to the most key and pivotal points allowed the team to stay focused on new market ventures.
- Nicole Poon, Chief Financial Officer
Cory is a process guru. He is one of those rare sales managers who fully understands the value of metrics! While he was National Sales Manager of Martifer Solar USA, not only did he develop and manage the company's sales tools and track all projects from lead to contract, but he also was directly responsible for selling the company's most profitable project in 2012. His passionate for renewables and inveterate professionalism make him a strong industry leader.
- Daniel Dus, CEO
Cory is the reason I joined this company. Even in the interview process, his approach made it clear that this was the right place for me—and that feeling only grew stronger over time. Working with Cory is the kind of journey where you constantly push your limits and come out better for it. Every challenge under his leadership isn’t just a hurdle; it’s an opportunity to grow, both professionally and personally. His leadership shaped mine in ways I couldn't imagine. He brings a rare mix of patience, a calm and solution-focused mindset, and a deep respect for human connection. He genuinely invests in the professional growth of those around him, constantly sharing tools, insights, and strategies to make us better. His ability to anticipate his team’s needs—and when he doesn’t, his willingness to listen and adjust—is what sets him apart as a leader.
- Deniz Kiremitci, Director
In challenging situations where others might falter, he remains a pillar of composure and clarity. What truly sets Cory apart is his ability to *listen deeply* to every perspective before crafting innovative, out-of-the-box solutions. His calm demeanor under pressure not only inspires confidence but also creates an environment where creativity and collaboration thrive. Cory is a natural leader who embodies **strategic vision** and **emotional intelligence**. He approaches problems with a solutions-first mindset, ensuring no challenge is insurmountable. His organizational skills are exceptional—he balances multiple priorities seamlessly while keeping teams aligned and motivated. Beyond his technical expertise, Cory excels at **empowering others**. He fosters inclusivity by valuing diverse viewpoints and ensuring every voice is heard, which consistently leads to stronger, more equitable outcomes. One of his standout leadership qualities is his ability to **mentor and uplift** those around him. Whether guiding colleagues through complex projects or sharing insights to help others grow, Cory leads with humility and purpose. His dedication to fostering a culture of trust and innovation makes him an invaluable asset to any team.
- Mohsin Farooq, Marketing Executive
I had the privilege of learning from Cory during our leadership meetings and direct one on ones, and his impact on my growth as a leader has been invaluable. He is a visionary strategist who not only leads with clarity and confidence but also takes the time to mentor and develop those around him. His ability to break down complex processes into actionable steps is a testament to his leadership and expertise. Beyond his technical knowledge, Cory fosters a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. His guidance has been instrumental in refining my leadership approach, and I am incredibly grateful for his mentorship. Any team would be lucky to have a leader as forward-thinking and dedicated as Cory!
- Hashir Bin Moin, Marketing Executive
Working with Cory has been an incredibly valuable experience. His strategic vision and ability to quickly identify and address key operational challenges are truly impressive. Cory's leadership style is both effective and supportive. He fosters an environment where you feel empowered to take initiative and drive results. His ability to create positive change while maintaining a kind and thoughtful approach is a testament to his exceptional leadership.
- Daniel Robles, Customer Success Leader
Cory is a strategic thinker with a deep understanding of operations, leadership, and business growth. His ability to solve complex problems while keeping a keen eye on execution sets him apart. One of Cory’s greatest strengths is his ability to assist in the scaling of companies. At Blazeo, I saw firsthand how he played a pivotal role in rebranding and successfully launching new products and features that drove both user engagement and business growth. His expertise in navigating rapid expansion while maintaining operational excellence was invaluable to the company’s success.
- Richelle Taylor, Customer Success Leader
Cory is analytical, creative and asks great questions. He is committed to building PCMA, his client's businesses and does so in a highly professional manner. He always does it right.
- Paul Walker, CEO
Cory and his team work well together. He has amazing values and demonstrates these every day with every interaction. He really cares about those that he works with and for. Cory puts 100% into everything that he does. He is very selfless and enjoys helping others as much as I do. I do not hesitate to introduce him to any of my clients or friends because I am confident that they will gain some value from meeting him!
- Rob Greer, Vice President
I was deeply impressed by his leadership and mentorship. He doesn’t just lead, he invests in his team, pushing them to grow while providing the support they need to succeed. Cory sets high expectations but balances them with genuine care, always taking the time to coach, listen, and inspire. His impact extends beyond business outcomes. He builds strong teams, develops future leaders, and leaves a lasting impression on those who work with him. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have learned from him.
- Saad Anwer, Strategic PM
Cory is a great leader, team player, and just a genuinely good human being. I worked with Cory as he was tasked to quickly scale up a startup. Cory is very focused, and facts driven. He calls out inaccuracies, clearly lays out the situation and uses data to drive decisions. He put together a solid team of passionate individuals and he fostered that passion by empowering each one of us. I have no doubt that he could lead a team of 10 or 10,000 and still find a way to maintain the type of culture and work environment where people want to work.
- Paule Dille, Director
I thoroughly enjoyed working with Cory and the incredible team he built. He set the vision for the organization and built a team around him that supported that vision. I watched Cory build a sales business from virtually nothing to 100+ qualified leads/week in seemingly a blink of an eye. He's an inspirational leader and would be a valuable addition to any company seeking a high performing leader.
- Joseph McConellogue, CEO
Cory is also willing to work on areas he feels he could improve upon. He was also very diligent in making sure his employees and team had everything they needed to succeed in their career. Having the kind of leader that will step in for you and do whatever task needed in order to help his team succeed is an A+ manager. After only a year of working with Cory, I knew he was the best manager I had worked with in all my previous jobs. His communication skills, kindness, understanding, ability to solve problems, and skills to build a talented team are unlike any other manager I have had in the past. Such a great person and a great professional manager.
- Nick Slezak, Sales Leader
It’s been wonderful to work alongside Cory at SunEdison. He always displays character, confidence, trust and an ambition to grow his customers’ businesses. He has established one of a kind relationships in the industry and he would be a benefit and strength to any company. I strongly recommend him!
- Paige Croswhite, Director
Cory and I worked together and I was able to spend a lot of time with him while at SunEdison. I have found he truly cares about each of the companies he works with and for him things are not solely "about the money". He dives in and makes things happen. He is also honest with his business dealings and I would recommend him for any organization.
- Blake Gailey, Vice President
There are not many "Managers" that are also "Leaders"; but through his energy, knowledge and sincere desire to see others succeed - Cory inspires others to be their best. I hope to know Cory for the rest of my career.
- Dan Burtt, Founder
Cory is driven and insightful. He doesn't give up when he knows what is best for the company or his team, and he stands his ground without needlessly pushing others out of the way. He also understands people and their motivations. He knows that sometimes the best thing for a client or teammate is what they need, not necessarily what they want.
- David Jones, Director
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