Gilda Bonanno is a speaker, trainer and coach who helps people improve their presentation and communication skills so they can be more successful. She achieves these results by combining her business background with her improv comedy performance experience and a conviction that with the right training and practice, anyone can become a more effective communicator. She has worked with businesspeople throughout North America and in Europe, China and India.
In addition to facilitating high-energy, client-focused training programs, Gilda speaks about leadership, motivation, communication and humor to groups ranging from engineers to healthcare professionals to investment bankers. 
Gilda also coaches individuals to overcome their fear of public speaking and eliminate the barriers to letting their voice be heard.
She is President-elect of the CT chapter of the National Speakers Association (NSA), Immediate Past President of the Southern CT chapter of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) and a Board Member for the CT Women's Business Development Council (WBDC). Gilda is qualified in the administration of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and an authorized distributor of Inscape® products, including DiSC® and Team Talents.® She uses these tools and assessments to help individuals understand their strengths and identify areas for improvement.
After living through the tsunami that hit southern India in 2004, Gilda came home and decided to launch her own training, speaking and coaching business. Her previous work experience in the pharmaceutical and information technology industries gives her a keen understanding of the challenges facing businesses.
She is a certified Project Management Practitioner (PMP), has a certificate in Process Reengineering and holds an Advanced Business Certificate in Management from the University of Connecticut School of Business. Her expertise in process improvement and project management allows her to help clients use their communication and presentation skills to solve business problems.
Gilda is also a founding member of the World Class Indifference improv comedy team, which for the past six years has performed comedy shows and taught classes in New York City and Connecticut. She incorporates improv techniques into her speaking, training and coaching, helping people learn to think quickly, be creative and develop confidence.
She also holds a master’s degree in history from Fordham University.
Watch Gilda's speech at the 2009 National Speakers Association Convention.