Meet the team moving your priorities from big idea to lasting change.

Welcome to a boutique Portland-based consultancy working with established and high-growth companies nationwide, where people come first and the approach is shaped by the work at hand.

We’re here because there was a pattern we couldn’t ignore.

We've seen what happens when the right people are brought into the work, and what happens when the match isn't quite right. The difference is always if the person or team fits with the situation.

We built Alder45 to make the most thoughtful matches—and to be honest when we aren't the best fit—because high-stakes work deserves the right people behind it.

Rooted in the idea of leaving things better than we found them.

Our name takes inspiration from the alder tree, one of the first to take root in disturbed ground. It helps restore the soil, creating the conditions for everything around it to grow stronger. The 45 nods to the latitude of our Portland roots and the idea of finding balance amid change.

Together, they reflect how we approach our work: stepping in when we're needed, building something that lasts, and leaving people and organizations stronger long after we've stepped away.

Start with the real problem.

Before recommending an answer, we get underneath what's actually getting in the way. The work gets better when we solve the right problem first.

A strategy only works if the business can actually run it.

The proof of a good recommendation is whether it translates to daily execution. We make sure you can actually get the work over the line.

The right operator beats a bigger team.

High-stakes work needs range. The right experience and judgement will move complex work forward faster than a crowded team ever could.

The situation should shape the method.

We don’t let frameworks become a liability to progress. The work should flex around the client's reality, not the other way around.

Build with the people who will inherit the work.

The team inside the company holds invaluable expertise and ability. Involving the right people makes the answers smarter and more likely to stick.

Leave the business stronger than you found it.

If Alder45 becomes indispensable to your company, we've failed. When it's all said and done, your team should be equipped to carry the work forward without us.

We do our best work with companies that have enough momentum to feel the strain of what’s next.

The common thread is a meaningful inflection point and a willingness to rethink how the work gets done.

You might be an established business that's outgrown its structure, a high-growth company whose ambition is outpacing its capacity, or a legacy organization ready to work differently.

The strongest fit is a leadership team willing to be honest about what's in the way, rethink how the work gets done, and bring us in as an extension of the team — not to simply hand off the problem.

How we help

A small core team with the right people around it.

Our firm draws on our founders’ experience inside some of the world's best-known consumer brands and a trusted network of operators and specialists across industries.

Jess and Elizabeth lead every partnership and tap a trusted network when needed to match each engagement to the experience, instincts, and working style it calls for.

Elizabeth Lloyd

Elizabeth knows there’s a better way to make transformation happen, and she delivers it through her ability to bring people together and willingness to solve the problems no one else wants to touch.

From Nike and Converse to Cencora and The Standard, Elizabeth tackles challenges at scale and creates collaborative & connected teams while she’s at it.   

Through leading cost reduction efforts, foundational system upgrades, digital transformations, data implementations, and operating model creations, Elizabeth shows up ready to get her hands dirty and eager to stay upbeat through it all.   

Growing up as one of 5 kids in her family and watching her mother’s career as an elementary school principal shaped Elizabeth into a connector who understands that the impact she makes on the people around her is the key to real success.

See Less

Jessica Rein

With a breadth of experience inside some of the world's best known consumer brands, Jessica creates success for the long-game by understanding the big picture and bringing the team along with her.

In her roles at Nike, Coca-Cola, Lowe’s, and more, the through line of Jess’ work is finding the North Star for every challenge and then creating structure from chaos.

Even when Jess steps into unknown spaces, she walks out of those same rooms as the leader who was able to learn quickly and build systems that create tangible success. From operating model design and transformation to change leadership and team development, Jess brings capability and collaboration to every team she partners with.

Jess spends her free time traveling as much as possible, and has been to all seven continents. What she loves about consulting is the same thing she loves about travel—seeing how different people and places work, what's similar, what's different, how those dynamics all fit together.

See Less

This is what becomes possible when we step into the work.

Our Impact

"Jess came in without a finance background and within days was asking the questions that mattered most to our business. She helped us set a clear strategy for our portfolio, connecting every workstream to our goals and giving us a realistic view of what we could take on. She built the structure and governance that gave us visibility into the work in flight with pragmatic flexibility to navigate the unexpected. Working with her felt like having a true partner on my leadership team."

Senior Director, Finance Data & Analytics

Global Athletic Brand

"It was a huge project to move to a global platform and harmonize Korean local business practices to global standards and systems, and Jessica took the time to understand both sides. Jessica's work helped the leadership team make decisions that were difficult and required a new tool development only for Korea.

She also worked side by side with our local team to build the training content and prepare them to train our store employees, so we were ready for every launch. Most of all, she listened and made sure our voice was heard by the global teams."

KyoungMin Lee

Global Apparel Company, Korea Omni-Channel Director

"Our business was experiencing rapid growth and we needed our operations to support us instead of hold us back. Elizabeth helped us streamline our proposal process and then built the proposals to grow our business. She has a way of turning what we do every day into a clear, convincing story for the people deciding who gets the contract. We now go into bids fully prepared, confident, and ready for all the growth that’s ahead."

Siri Miller

Owner, VP Procurement and Administration at a Portland Biohazard remediation company

"We had multiple priorities vying for our attention, but Elizabeth structured the work so every initiative supported the next, including our move to a new IT partner. The complicated changes we were facing not only became manageable, but we now have better protection for our data, a partner we trust, and lower costs."

Kellie Chauncey-Lance

Owner and VP, Operations and Finance

What does Alder45 do?

Alder45 is a boutique consultancy that brings experienced leaders into high-stakes moments at established and high-growth companies. We match world-class leaders with your mandate, whether the need is to fill a critical role, carry a cross-functional initiative, or orchestrate enterprise-wide change. We work alongside your team and leave the business stronger when we go.

What is Alder45’s methodology?

Rather than a strict methodology or framework, we care most about getting the right people into the room with you. We first look at what your business is truly trying to make happen and what’s standing in the way. Then we hand pick a leader or small team to meet those needs. They work alongside your people and adapt their approach to your situation.

Where does Alder45 operate?

Alder45 is based in Portland, OR., but our work spans the globe. Our engagements can be on-site, remote, or hybrid depending on the situation. The right fit matters more to us than geography—if you’re unsure about the logistics of working together, just ask and we’d love to talk more details.

What companies have you worked with?

Alder45’s founders bring experience across a wide range of organizations, from global brands to fast-growing local businesses. That includes consumer and retail companies like Nike, Coca-Cola, Lowe’s, Nordstrom, and Crate & Barrel; healthcare organizations like Cencora, Centene, and Change Healthcare; financial services firms like Bank of America and The Standard; as well as public sector agencies and growing businesses like Rapid Response Bio-Clean here in Portland. If you’d like to know whether we’ve handled a situation like yours, tell us about it and we’ll share the most relevant experience.

Can I see examples of your work?

Yes! Our case studies show examples organized by the situation a company was facing, what was entrusted to us, and the change that came as a result. These case studies include high-stakes projects serving brands in complex, high-stakes transformations and initiatives.

How is Alder45 different from a large consulting firm or a staffing agency?

Alder45 is a consulting partner built around the match between the right leaders for your company at the moment you’re facing. Large firms often bring a set team and methodology, and staffing agencies fill a seat from a résumé. Our founders personally match experienced leaders to your situation, weighing chemistry as heavily as experience, and stay accountable from start to finish. We own the work, then hand it back to a team ready to carry it without us.

What gap are you facing?

From “I’m not 100% sure, I just know something’s off” to “We’re on a strict transformation timeline”, we want to hear where you’re at.

Start Here