Brian Formato
CEO and Founder, Groove Management
Brian Formato is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Groove Management. He is a seasoned executive coach, master team builder, organizational development, and communications leader with 20+ years of corporate experience. Brian is an accomplished speaker, writer and executive coach who has had a positive impact on individuals and organizations around the globe.
Brian Formato is the founder of Groove Management, a leadership development and executive coaching firm, and the creator of LeaderSurf, an adventurous development program for business leaders of all backgrounds, industries and corners of the world who want to break old habits and create lasting change.
Brian has 25+ years of experience developing leaders and organizational capabilities inside of companies in a variety of industries including financial services, digital marketing, telecommunications, industrials, construction equipment and publishing as well as non-profit organizations. He has served in diverse roles including HR management, leadership and organizational development, corporate communications, and digital marketing.
He nationally launched Groove Management in 2014 to help first time CEOs step into new and uncharted waters inherent with their unique roles. He is known for his work with executive teams, taking them outside of their four walls to address tough business challenges, and create new experiences that build trust and prompt change. His practice offers executive coaching, leadership effectiveness and development, organizational development, behavior-based leader branding, and alignment during change (early change company growth, post-merger integration and venture capital) services.
Brian pairs appreciative inquiry with a balanced leadership approach rooted in science, service and self to help leaders find their groove, learn to fail in order to succeed and adopt leadership practices centered on service to others and oneself. He often “sees the simple” that we can’t see when we are too close, and turns the simple into actionable insights with questions like “Would I thrive working for me?”
Brian earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Eckerd College and a master’s in organization development from American University. He is certified in REACH Quotient, Birkman International, Myers Briggs (MBTI), Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI), and Brand You; and serves on the boards of Advent Co-Working, ClearRock, and the Charlotte chapter of the Surfrider Foundation.
