Frustrated Intrapreneur Turned Successful Entrepreneur-Anthony Bonanzino, Ph.D.

By Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D. is Professional Keynote Speaker, Published Intrapreneurship Book Author, the Leading Expert and Thought Leader on Intrapreneurship, Corporate Entrepreneurship, Intrapreneurship Program Creation, Using Intrapreneurship programs as a strategic tool for Recruiting and Retaining Key Employees, and Using Intrapreneurship to Increase Innovation and Foster Creativity.

Dr. Anthony Bonanzino is an excellent example of a frustrated Intrapreneur, or corporate entrepreneur, turned to serial successful Entrepreneur. Dr. Bonanzino fought hard for many years to build within the rigid corporate structure of Bayer AG. Bonanzino, as an intrapreneurial employee turned entrepreneur, lead the structuring and execution of the leveraged buyout of the Hollister Stier Laboratories subsidiary of Bayer AG.

Dr. Bonanzino said that he pushed the envelope [as an intrapreneur or corporate entrepreneur] with creative ideas and moral boosting programs, but his intrapreneurial ideas were consistently turned down. He started off his career as an intrapreneur or corporate entrepreneur within Bayer AG, the large German pharmaceutical company. However, he found the corporation too rigid and not will to be open minded, as Tony Bonanzino described to me during our interview, his former employer, Bayer AG, had a heavily dictatorial management style.

This is a short biography of one of an intrapreneur (who fought corporate and the system, but faced too many obstacles and impediments), but who then took matters into his own hands by going from Intrapreneur to successful serial Entrepreneur and CEO. This Dr. Anthony Bonanzino’s intriguing life journey from tragedy to exploring Intrapreneurship to becoming a successful Entrepreneur:

Tony Bonanzino was born in West Haven, Connecticut and grew up in lower middle-class neighborhood. Tony was just seven years old when his father died. His family was quite poor, especially after his father died. Understandably, Bonanzino was broken hearted and devastated by his dad’s death. Tony said he “become incorrigible.” He was expelled from his Catholic elementary school when he was in 4th grade.

His friends and family sought to help him. The Girard school for Fatherless Boys (a free private school) accepted Tony. Tony arrived at the school but was angry at the world. This school was a no nonsense place with strict discipline. Fortunately, Tony was able to turn his life around in the 8th grade at the Girard School. He successfully graduated from high school at Girard.

Bonanzino went to a community college for a while, but was more interested in played on the junior college ice hockey team. Tony took a year off, but then attending Boston University for a while.

Luckily then Tony enlisted in the United States Air Force. He trained for a year at the U.S. Military’s Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Mandarin Chinese. Bonanzino was then assigned to translate military broadcasts, including the Chinese pilot-to-pilot, and other Chinese communications from Mandarin to English.

Right after he was assigned, the Vietnam Conflict ended. The military was downsizing and he was allowed to leave the Air Force early. He had the G.I. Bill benefits, including full educational benefits. Tony was much more focused on his college studies. The GI Bill paid his expenses. Bonanzino graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in Biology (focused on Microbiology).

After college, Tony Bonanzino went to work for Bayer AG, the large German pharmaceutical company. Tony described a heavily dictatorial management style. Tony indicated that when he worked for Bayer AG, he tried to be an intrapreneur (or corporate entrepreneur). He “pushed the envelope” with creative ideas and moral boosting programs. Tony recognized that his intrapreneurial and innovative ideas were consistently turned down by Bayer AG management.

Tony said especially hated and deplored the autocratic management philosophy of Bayer AG. He was upset what was in his view Bayer AG’s mistreatment of employees. Bonanzino described his frustration when his intrapreneurial and innovative attempts to “build the spirit and camaraderie” of his team within Bayer AG were consistently thwarted by its “intransigent management.” After Tony had worked for four years for Bayer AG, he returned to college get a Master’s degree in Operations Management while working for Bayer AG.

Bonanzino the frustrated intrapreneur and employee view was a very challenging environment. It was not technically challenging, but emotionally challenging. Bayer AG violated Tony’s core belief on complete respect of the individual and their innovations.

Tony had endured losing a Dad but was now facing challenge of remaining in a debilitating, almost evil, environment for so many years. He really wanted to just walk away but had family to support. Tony commented that staying in that bad environment “was an extraordinarily difficult thing to do and it really takes a toll on you.” Tony then added that he felt like he “prostituted himself.”

Bayer AG sent Bonanzino Spokane, Washington, for an assignment the Bayer AG subsidiary, Hollister-Stier Laboratories Several years later, when Bayer AG announced that it would sell Hollister-Stier Laboratories, Tony Bonanzino decided to lead a team to negotiate with Bayer for a leveraged buyout of Hollister-Stier Laboratories.

Tony Bonanzino became the President and CEO of the new Hollister-Stier Laboratories LLC. He promptly and dramatically restructured Hollister-Stier Labs. He was really focused on totally changing the company’s management style and treatment of employees. Tony shared that he eliminated everything he perceived as employee abuse and invited input and innovation from all of his employees. This new enlightened servant leadership and intrapreneurial supportive spirit help turned an unprofitable subsidiary of Bayer AG into a strong and profitable firm with its own positive corporate identity.

Tony continued his formal graduate education by earning a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University. Dr. Bonanzino continues to invest a great deal of his time in local community projects, including various non-profit organizations, including his newest venture, the non-profit Institute for Systems Medicine. Tony still coaches kids on various team sports in the Spokane area. Dr. Bonanzino also still teaches at least one class per semester at the Gonzaga University, School of Business. He is a local hero and business icon of the story of his leveraged buyout of Hollister-Stier Labs is a business case study at the Gonzaga University School of Business. Dr. Bonanzino served in a number of senior leadership posts in the Spokane business community, while he was running Hollister-Stier Laboratories LLC.

Bonanzino and his senior management team successfully built up Hollister Stier Laboratories LLC. In 2007, 90% of Hollister Stier ownership was sold to Jubilant Organosys, a large multi-national pharmaceutical company. Dr. Bonanzino is now building his sequel successful entrepreneurial venture the as the new CEO of the Institute for Systems Medicine, a nonprofit effort that hopes to develop cutting-edge medical research.

Dr. Bonanzino is a classic example of how Entrepreneurs succeed no matter what level of sustained adversity and challenges that they face in their journey to build their business.

Bonanzino and his senior management team successfully built up Hollister Stier Laboratories LLC. In 2007, he structured the sale 90% of Hollister Stier ownership was sold to Jubilant Organosys, a large multi-national pharmaceutical company. Dr. Tony Bonanzino then retired as CEO at contract pharmaceutical company Hollister Stier Laboratories LLC, after 18 years in that position. Dr. Bonanzino is the new CEO of the Institute for Systems Medicine, a nonprofit effort that hopes to develop cutting-edge medical research.

Dr. Haller is a University Graduate Business School Professor, major University Trustee, and past University Board President, as well as a seasoned Senior Corporate Executive of major public and private companies. Haller was Managing Director of Anaconda-Ericsson Finance and Leasing Inc. and was Senior Vice President of United Artist/Tele-Communications Inc. and managed assets in excess of $4 Billion.

“Doc” Haller is the Founder and Chief Enlightenment Officer (CEO) of the Intrapreneurship Institute. Howard Edward Haller’s groundbreaking 1982 University published academic research on intrapreneurship is cited by Wikipedia.org in their “History of Intrapreneurship” entry. In addition, Dr. Haller’s 2009 published intrapreneurship book “Intrapreneurship Success: A PR1ME Example” is also cited by Wikipedia.org in their “History of Intrapreneurship.”

Intrapreneurship has been successfully utilized by corporations, partnerships, and non-profit firms in the US, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The underlying concept and idea of Intrapreneurship or Corporate Entrepreneurship had been present in corporations in the United States, Japan, and all around the world, for many decades, even before the term was used in the mid 1980’s in the mainstream media.

For Full Disclosure: Dr. Tony Bonanzino was one of sixteen well-known prominent business, political, and academic leaders on leadership, entrepreneurship and overcoming adversity, including two billionaire entrepreneurs and several mega- millionaire entrepreneurs, including: Dr. Anthony Bonanzino, Jack Canfield, William Draper III, Mark Victor Hansen, U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Monzer Hourani, U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), the now deceased Jack LaLanne, J. Terrence Lanni, Dr. John Malone, Angelo Mozilo, Dr. Nido Qubein, U.S. Army Major General Sid Shachnow (Ret.), Dr. John Sperling, Dr. Blenda Wilson, and Zig Ziglar.

Five internationally well-known and highly respected leadership scholars offered their reviews of the Dr. Haller’s groundbreaking leadership and entrepreneurship research and his findings including: Dr. Ken Blanchard, Dr. John Kotter, Professor James Kouzes, Dr. Paul Stoltz, and Dr. Meg Wheatley.

Dr. Howard Edward Haller’s groundbreaking leadership and entrepreneurship research was published by the major German firm, VDM Verlag Dr Müller AG & CoKG. Dr. Howard Edward Haller’s 2008 book is entitled: “Leadership and Adversity: The Shaping of Prominent Leaders.”

VDM Verlag Dr Müller AG & CoKG. also published Dr. Haller’s 2009 new Intrapreneurship book “Intrapreneurship Success: A PR1ME Example”

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Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D. is Professional Keynote Speaker on Intrapreneurship, Corporate Entrepreneurship, Intrapreneurship Program Creation, Using Intrapreneurship programs as a strategic tool for Recruiting and Retaining Key Employees, and Using Intrapreneurship to Increase Innovation and Foster Creativity.

Dr. Howard Edward Haller is a “street smart” serial Intrapreneur and Entrepreneur, and is the Leading Expert and Thought Leader on Intrapreneurship, Intrapreneurship Program Creation, Intrapreneurship Program Implementation & Operation, and Entrepreneurship.

Dr. Haller is also a University Graduate Business School Professor, major University Trustee (Emeritus), and past University Board President, as well as a seasoned Senior Corporate Executive of major public and private companies. Haller was the Founder and Managing Director of Anaconda-Ericsson Finance and Leasing Inc.(for Anaconda-Ericsson Inc., the ARCO & LM Ericsson Joint Venture) Dr. Haller was Senior Vice President of United Artist/Tele-Communications Inc., where he managed assets in excess of $4 Billion.

Howard Edward Haller’s groundbreaking 1982 University published academic research on intrapreneurship is cited by Wikipedia.org in their “History of Intrapreneurship” entry. In addition, Dr. Haller’s 2009 published intrapreneurship book “Intrapreneurship Success: A PR1ME Example” is also cited by Wikipedia.org in their “History of Intrapreneurship.”

Book Dr. Howard Edward Haller to speak or consult with your entire firm or your senior executive on Intrapreneurship, Corporate Entrepreneurship , Intrapreneurship Program Creation or Increasing Innovation with your company.