From the high-pressure courts of the US Open to the boardrooms of the Fortune 500, Larry Bonfante, Founder and CEO of CIO Bench Coach, has mastered the art of leading through the "messiness" of human nature. He reveals why technical acumen is never enough to reach the C-suite and how shifting your focus from the "how" to the "why" can secure multi-million dollar investments and deep-rooted team loyalty. Discover how to build a leadership brand that commands respect without self-promotion and why the most impactful leaders are those who prioritize the success of others over their own next promotion.
Bio: Larry Bonfante has held executive leadership positions for over 35 years in the Financial, Pharmaceutical, Not for Profit, Consulting, and Sports and Entertainment industries. He has received numerous industry accolades including being nominated for the CIO Hall of Fame, being named as one of CIO Magazine’s CIO 100 and one of Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders.
As Chief Information Officer at the United States Tennis Association, Larry’s team was responsible for all information technology related services supporting the US Open, the most highly attended annual sporting event in the world. Larry is the founder of CIO Bench Coach, LLC an industry leading executive coaching practice and the author of the books “Lessons in IT Transformation” and “Reflections of an Executive Coach”. Larry has served as a mentor and executive coach to over 400 executives across every industry vertical for world class companies like Toyota, Prudential, La Z Boy, Pfizer, and Kaiser Permanente and has delivered leadership and sales workshops for more than 7,000 executives for industry leaders such as Amazon, Salesforce, Cisco Systems and Unisys.
He has helped facilitate strategy and transformation initiatives for companies as diverse as Heineken USA, General Dynamics, and the Anti-Defamation League. Larry has been a guest lecturer for the Masters’ Degree programs at Columbia University, NYU, and Polytechnic Institute and has delivered keynote presentations at major industry conferences on four continents.
Larry believes in using his clients’ tactical realities to help build their strategic competencies. Instead of discussing things in an abstract way, he works with real life issues, projects, and relationships to help grow their key skills. He has a unique and authentic voice and works to meet people where they are as opposed to trying to fit them into some preconceived “methodology”.
Larry holds an MS in Organizational Leadership from Mercy College and a BA in Organizational Psychology from Brooklyn College.
Larry is a singer and guitarist in a classic rock band. He is passionate about music and sports and is a huge fan of the New York Mets. He has been married for 40 years, has two adult daughters and a grandson who he loves to spoil.
Something Extra: "Always remember. It's never about you, it's about your people. It's about your clients, it's about your stakeholders. It's about the people you serve, and if in some small way, you can help them on their journey, they're better off because they were part of your organization."
Guest Links:
- Larry’s LinkedIn
- CIO Bench Coach
- Book: Lessons in IT Transformation: Technology Expert to Business Leader
- Book: Reflections of an Executive Coach