Michael Molinaro

Background and Experience

From 2009 to 2024, Michael served as chief learning officer at New York Life, a Fortune 100 company. They are also the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States (US) and one of the largest life insurers in the world. Prior to joining New York Life, Michael spent 12 years in London, where he was head of learning for UBS Investment Bank from 2005-2009 and Deutsche Bank from 1998-2005. Before holding these roles, Michael was North American head of learning and development for Reuters. He has also held senior learning and organization development roles at AIG, Citibank-Smith Barney, Shearson Lehman Brothers, and Drexel Burnham Lambert.

Michael has acted as an independent consultant and coach at Fortune 100 companies in the US and Europe. He has written and contributed to several papers on the topics of executive coaching, leadership development, and organizational culture. Michael is the co-host (with Gregg Thompson) of the podcast series “The Edge of Leadership” and is the founder of what is now the largest Little League Baseball program in Western Europe. Michael lives in New York City and Barnegat Light, New Jersey.

Co-Author, Purpose Driven is Not Enough. The HR Advisor
Author, Being on One’s Way: The Path to Leadership. International Journal of Appreciative Inquiry
Co-Author, Coaching and Culture Change at New York Life. The International Journal of Coaching in Organizations

Your Success is Our Reward

When your senior leaders work together to take your organization to the next level, we both succeed.

The best athletes have coaches. As a CEO, I work with an executive coach from Berman Leadership to help me stay focused, help my team stay focused, help me communicate better, and help my team communicate better. I appreciate being able to bounce ideas off of them when I’m seeing issues from personnel to strategy. Their psychology based approach combined with business experience helps me navigate new problems and gives me great guidance for how to get from point A to point B when you don’t have a map.

CEO,
FinTech Software

When your senior leaders work together to take your organization to the next level, we both succeed.

Berman Leadership coaches make sure our leaders have a safe place to work through issues. Their coaches are highly intelligent, wonderful partners, who quickly get into a rhythm. I appreciate their flexible style and willingness to meet us in a place that works well for the organization.

Senior VP Human Resources,
Private Investment Firm

When your senior leaders work together to take your organization to the next level, we both succeed.

The coaches at Berman Leadership start with intelligence. I appreciate their ability to rapidly diagnose, then offer sets of solutions to choose from that are situationally appropriate for my organization. Their psychological insight and business experience across industry and across different levels of the organization is invaluable.

SVP Global Clinical R&D,
Pharmaceutical

When your senior leaders work together to take your organization to the next level, we both succeed.

Berman Leadership coaches are good at being able to strategize, manage a situation, and provide really good solutions. I appreciate their flexibility and the thoughtful, creative way that they bring insight into their advice. They find the right balance between what works for the individual and what the firm needs, and then marry them together.

Managing Director of HR,
Global Investment Bank

When your senior leaders work together to take your organization to the next level, we both succeed.

I trust the team at Berman Leadership to coach consistently with the organizational culture and business climate, and contextually with deep appreciation for the coache’s environmental challenges. Their incredibly deep approach, rooted in psychology, enables them to navigate incredibly complex and sensitive situations with our most senior folks.

Chief Talent Officer,
Vault50 Law Firm

When your senior leaders work together to take your organization to the next level, we both succeed.

I trust Berman Leadership to operate at the highest level. Their process starts off with clear goals and focuses on what we are trying to achieve from a business perspective. I appreciate their balance between business focus and a strong research mindset.

Chief Talent Officer,
Pharmaceutical Manufacturer

When your senior leaders work together to take your organization to the next level, we both succeed.

Every engagement I source, I look at the executive, the personality, the leadership, and the coach’s style, cadence, and approach to make sure they’re going to be the best fit. If I have a very senior executive in a critical, important role, I call on Berman Leadership for the high stakes assignment because the individual and the outcome are so important. I trust them to provide impact and seamlessly support cultural assimilation with their executive onboarding work because they understand our company so well.

VP HR,
Financial Services

Background and Experience

Businesses and Engagements

Areas of Specialization

Education and Training

Qualifications

Books

Berman Leadership Articles

Media Resources

Your Success is Our Reward

Your Success is Our Reward

When your senior leaders work together to take your organization to the next level, we both succeed.

When your senior leaders work together to take your organization to the next level, we both succeed.

When your senior leaders work together to take your organization to the next level, we both succeed.

When your senior leaders work together to take your organization to the next level, we both succeed.

When your senior leaders work together to take your organization to the next level, we both succeed.

When your senior leaders work together to take your organization to the next level, we both succeed.

When your senior leaders work together to take your organization to the next level, we both succeed.

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Berman Leadership > Learnings & Insights

Coaching in Complex Systems: Why One-Size Doesn’t Fit All

Leading Through Systems: The Executive’s Ethical Balancing Act

What It Really Means to Be Human at Work