The Key to Building a Sustainable, Enduring Legacy with CEO of Orbus Software, Michael D'Onofrio #35
Michael D’Onofrio’s vision is to build a sustainable and enduring legacy for the next generation, and he couldn’t have a greater breadth of experiences under his belt to achieve those ambitions.
With over 15 years of global experience, his current role as CEO of Orbus Software sees him employing the skills from an MBA with Harvard Business School in a forward-thinking, future-ready cloud software firm.
Hear how Michael created a plethora of executive & non-executive opportunities, why people are paramount to his leadership values, how to achieve true transformation, and so much more in this incredibly rich discussion on Extrology.
Lee and michael discuss:
The incredible global expansion, growth mindset and innovative tech that drew Michael to Orbus
How digital transformation has accelerated since Covid, and how it’s created competitive advantages
Defining your mission and purpose, and taking steps towards achieving it
Advice for those juggling executive duties with non-executive roles
The value of amassing a breadth of experience early in your career
Links & references:
Lee Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/
Michael D'Onofrio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madonofrio/
Orbus Software: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orbus-software/
Get in touch: lee@extrology.com
Episode highlights:
“I always gravitated to my uncle as one of the more entrepreneurial people in our family, taking on a bit more risk and doing bigger projects. So he was definitely a hero growing up.” - 3:50 - Michael D'Onofrio
“I was helping the government think about what solar projects to fund, through to turning around banks and environmental companies. So for me, it was really a chance to broaden my skills. At the time, I really wanted to do an MBA so I saw this as a chance to learn about business.” - 11:35 - Michael D'Onofrio
“Try writing down your mission, or your purpose, or what you're trying to do. Mine hasn't changed since I graduated from Harvard, it's on the front line of my LinkedIn, which is to build a sustainable and enduring legacy for the next generation. Every time I make a decision, whether it's to become an executive, or join an entrepreneurial team, or invest in something, I always test whether it's going to further my mission.” - 16:05 - Michael D'Onofrio
“The mandate to become the CEO of Orbus was global expansion, new technologies, innovation, and it was a very growth minded mandate.” - 21:45 - Michael D'Onofrio
“Digital transformation can mean lots of different things. For some companies it’s making their first mobile app, or it's taking mainframes from 40 years ago and putting them on the Azure cloud at scale. It can mean many different things, but it's fundamentally the premise that businesses that are more digital and tech-enabled tend to have the competitive advantage.” - 23:50 - Michael D'Onofrio
“I'm a board member for a business in Scotland, which means that when I speak to my board, I have a better appreciation of what they are thinking about, right? Especially as a non-executive. You don't know what's happening every day, so it also helps you in your executive role.” - 30:05 - Michael D'Onofrio
“In the last year, I've doubled the size of my executive team and everyone's in place. It's really nice now to be the conductor of the orchestra rather than trying to play all the instruments at the same time. The power of people and surrounding yourself with the people along your journey, taking a 360 view of it, is really important, and it's fundamental to also having a sustainable life.” - 34:50 - Michael D'Onofrio
“One of the key tenets that I'm learning from this book is that you can only do one transformation activity at a time, because it really requires you to commit the organisation to it, especially if you're in the CEO role.” - 47:50 - Michael D'Onofrio
“Define what you want to get out of your 20s. A diverse set of experiences means that when you're approaching 30, you've had enough experience to actually make a conscious choice on what you want to do, and make a decade-long commitment.” - 51:30 - Michael D'Onofrio
Extrology is sponsored by Progresso Talent Partners who for more than 25 years have successfully delivered interim and permanent leadership talent to transform businesses and to hire the talent you need to enable your business to thrive: https://www.progressotalent.com/