Leadership Driving Growth: Michael De Bonis, Breakpoint Human Capital Management

“We know from our work with CEOs and executives that the single most important factor in building a high-performing organization is leadership,” says De Bonis. “Having a formal strategy and game plan for sustainable performance is not enough. The key to success is a strong leader who understands that their most important role is to define what the organization will be and why it will matter.”

De Bonis is the CEO & Founder of Breakpoint Human Capital Management, a Toronto-based strategic advisory practice established in 2005. His work spans industries and business stages, helping leadership teams navigate growth, change and culture transformation.

“I am motivated to work with leaders across diverse industries and growth stages to create strong organizations built on a foundation of innovation, quality and a skilled workforce,” he says. “Those strategic partnerships have informed our company’s purpose: to help business leaders figure out where to go and how to grow.”

Across sectors, he’s seeing a clear shift: employees are more intentional about where and how they contribute. That shift, he says, is changing the expectations placed on leaders.

“Today, the way leaders engage their people is undergoing a fundamental transformation,” says De Bonis. “Employees are actively deciding where to invest their energy. In response, we have created tailored solutions for leaders that support building high performing organizations that successfully attract, develop and retain exceptional people.”

For De Bonis, people-first leadership isn’t just a philosophy—it’s a business imperative. He believes culture and inclusion are now key drivers of organizational performance, not just HR considerations.

“As organization strategists, we know that diversity and inclusion are crucial for creating high-performing teams because they foster a culture of broad perspectives and enhanced creativity which improves problem-solving,” he says. “That in turn raises employee satisfaction and retention, leading to better overall organization performance.”

He points to a recent project with a Toronto hospital as an example. Breakpoint implemented a customized People and Culture strategy focused on diversity in all forms. The result: a 163% increase in employee engagement satisfaction scores—helping launch the hospital into its next phase of impact.

In another project engagement, a Toronto-based manufacturer supported by Canadian investors scaled to serve 38 major North American retailers and achieved a 40% annual growth rate. But for De Bonis, the culture built along the way mattered just as much.

“At Breakpoint we believe in the power of the human connection. And we’re founded on the principle that we make business great—for the people. It is the lens through which we make all our decisions,” he says. “We were able to help the business leaders reach beyond what they thought was possible and build a growing organization that reflects our values—where people were heard, valued and inspired.”

Asked what advice he’d share with other business leaders, De Bonis emphasizes clarity and focus.

“My advice to other entrepreneurs is that to be successful you have to be an active learner. Curious how to align with the direction of your client and stay on point. You don’t need to chase everything. You have to stay anchored on the things that matter and be right in the right places.”

His message is timely: in a changing workforce landscape, leadership still sets the tone—for culture, performance and long-term impact.