Leadership and Overcoming Adversity: Story of Anthony Bonanzino,
Ph.D., President and CEO of Hollister-Stier
Dr. Howard Edward Haller
This groundbreaking leadership research by has received
extensive endorsements and enthusiastic reviews from well-known
prominent business, political, and academic leaders who either
participated in the study or reviewed the research findings. You
will discover the proven success habits and secrets of people
who, in spite of difficult or life threatening challenges shaped
their own destiny to become successful, effective leaders. The
full results of this research will be presented in the upcoming
book by Dr. Howard Edward Haller titled "Leadership: View from
the Shoulders of Giants."
The nine initial prominent successful leaders who overcame
adversity that were interviewed included: Dr. Tony Bonanzino,
U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch, Monzer Hourani, U.S. Senator Daniel
Inouye, Dr. John Malone, Larry Pino, U.S. Army Major General Sid
Shachnow, Dr. Blenda Wilson, and Zig Ziglar.
The data from the above nine research participants was
materially augmented by seven other successful leaders who
overcame adversity including: Jack Canfield, William Draper III,
Mark Victor Hansen, J. Terrence Lanni, Angelo Mozilo, Dr. Nido
Qubein, and Dr. John Sperling.
Additionally, five internationally known and respected
leadership scholars offered their reviews of the leadership
research findings including: Dr. Ken Blanchard, Jim Kouzes, Dr.
John Kotter, Dr. Paul Stoltz, and Dr. Meg Wheatley.
This is a short biography of one of the principal participants
who generously contributed their time and insight for this
important research into the phenomenon of how prominent
successful leaders overcome adversity and obstacles.
This Anthony Bonanzino's story:Anthony Bonanzino was born in a
lower middle-class Catholic family in West Haven, Connecticut.
"My mother was a waitress, working two jobs; there was no, as I
call it, 'silver spoon.'" Tony's father worked the graveyard
shift at the post office. Anthony was only seven years old when
he lost his father.
He said his father's death was "nothing unusual, it happens all
the time; unfortunately he passed away when he was 44." Tony
indicated that he was totally devastated by his father's death,
and by his own admission he became incorrigible. He was expelled
from a Catholic school in the fourth grade. He had gotten into
some minor trouble with the law for mischievous behavior.
Tony shared the story: "Fortunately, there was a detective on
the West Haven, Connecticut police force, who knew me well
enough by that point, because I had gotten into so many minor
troubles. He wanted to help; he found a school, a free, private
school for fatherless boys, in Philadelphia." The school
accepted Tony. The school demanded hard work and unquestioned
respect for the teachers, and imposed strict discipline. When he
arrived at the school Tony described having anger at the world,
but he turned his life around in the eighth grade. Bonanzino
graduated from high school at Girard.
He went on to junior college "for a year and played on the ice
hockey team," but he was not really focused on his education. He
then "took a year off. I went to Boston University for a period,
then I joined the Air Force." He was trained for a year in
Mandarin Chinese and then was assigned for a few months to
translate military broadcasts, pilot-to-pilot, and
ground-to-pilot communications from Mandarin to English.
Because the Vietnam conflict was over and the military was
downsizing, Tony was allowed to leave the Air Force early, with
full "G.I. Bill" benefits, including educational benefits. "At
the time, full benefits meant full benefits." He could focus on
his studies. Tony graduated from college with a degree in
Biology and a concentration in Microbiology. After working for
four years, he returned to get a Master's degree in Operations
Management.
He then went to work for Bayer AG, the large German
pharmaceutical company. Tony described a "heavily dictatorial"
management style. He indicated that he was a "pretty unhappy
person because the work violated my core values, my beliefs." He
especially deplored what he perceived to be the company's
mistreatment of employees. Tony described his frustration when
his attempts to "build the spirit and camaraderie" of his team
within Bayer were thwarted by its "intransigent management."
Tony said, "I was in a very challenging environment, not
technically challenging, but emotionally challenging, because my
core belief was based on respect of the individual." But now he
found himself in "an environment that was highly egocentric,
debilitating in its treatment of people, and really, a violation
of my core beliefs."
Tony commented, "I prostituted myself." Tony described the
challenge of remaining in such "a debilitating, almost evil,
environment for so many years, instead of having the courage to
walk away." He added that staying was "an extraordinarily
difficult thing, and it takes a toll on you. It truly takes a
toll."
Tony was sent to Spokane, Washington for an assignment at the
Bayer subsidiary, Hollister-Stier Labs, a small pharmaceutical
and bio-technology company. When Bayer AG announced that it
would sell Hollister-Stier Laboratories, Tony decided to lead a
team to negotiate with Bayer for a leveraged buyout of
Hollister-Stier Laboratories.
Bonanzino became the new President and CEO and immediately
restructured the company, totally changing the firm's management
style. He indicated that he eliminated everything he perceived
as employee abuse and invited input from his employees. In the
process he turned an unprofitable subsidiary of Bayer AG into a
strong and profitable separate company with its own corporate
identity.
Tony also earned a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Gonzaga
University, and continues to invest a great deal of his time in
community projects and various non-profit organizations. He
coaches young people in various team sports and still teaches
one class each semester at the School of Business at Gonzaga
University. He shared that his leveraged buyout of
Hollister-Stier Labs is a case study at the Gonzaga School of
Business.
I initially interviewed Dr. Tony Bonanzino for almost two hours
at his home in Spokane, Washington. Dr. Bonanzino continues to
run his successful firm, Hollister-Stier Laboratories, while
serving in a number of leadership posts in the Spokane business
community.
Copyright 2006 © Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D.
Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D. Chief Enlightenment Officer The
Leadership Success Institute
www.TheLeaderInstitute.com
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