Meet Bernice
COO/CFO Fractional Leader | Strategy, Finance & Operations
Turning complexity into clarity, structure & results under pressure
Bernice Caruso Donato is a Fractional COO and strategic operations advisor who partners with founders, executive teams, nonprofits, and growing organizations to create operational clarity, financial discipline, and scalable systems.
With a background in accounting, executive leadership, and organizational strategy, she helps businesses move from reactive decision-making to intentional execution—aligning people, processes, and financial performance so leaders can focus on growth with confidence.
Leadership coaching remains part of her work, but always in service of stronger execution, healthier teams, and better business outcomes.
Experience and Perspective
I hold a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from New Jersey City University and have led and advised organizations across healthcare, wellness, nonprofit, real estate, and founder-led businesses.
My background includes executive responsibility for operations and financial performance, serving as Chief Operating Officer in a multispecialty medical environment, building and operating businesses, advising leadership teams, and helping organizations navigate periods of growth, transition, and organizational reset.
I also served as Treasurer of the International Coaching Federation New Jersey Chapter, where I was responsible for financial oversight, budgeting, reporting, governance alignment, and fiduciary accountability. I also contributed to the chapter’s 2025–2027 Strategic Plan.
Across these environments, one principle has remained consistent: strategy only creates value when an organization has the discipline, structure, and leadership alignment to execute it.
Strategic Operations
Creating systems, workflows, and accountability that allow organizations to execute consistently.
Executive Partnership
Serving as a trusted thought partner for founders and leadership teams navigating growth and change.
Financial Leadership
Budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and operational financial oversight that supports smarter decisions.
Leadership Development
Helping leaders communicate clearly, make better decisions, and lead effectively through uncertainty.
How I work
I believe the best organizations don't rely on heroic leadership—they rely on clear systems, strong financial visibility, and leaders who know how to execute under pressure.
My role isn't to create more complexity.
It's to simplify it.
Together, we identify what's slowing progress, establish practical operating rhythms, clarify priorities, and build the structures that allow teams to perform consistently over time.
Leadership Philosophy
"It is better to follow the voice inside and be at war with the whole world than to follow the ways of the world and be at war with your deepest self." ~ Michael Pastore
I believe that organizations cannot outperform the clarity, discipline, and self-awareness of the people who lead them.
When leaders lack alignment, it shows up in execution—through miscommunication, inconsistent decision-making, and breakdowns in accountability.
When leaders are clear, grounded, and intentional, the opposite happens. Teams align. Priorities stabilize. Execution improves.
This is why my work integrates both sides of leadership:
The operational — structure, systems, financial discipline, execution
The leadership — decision-making, communication, and how leaders operate under pressure
Because sustainable results require both.
who we consult.
Healthcare
Nonprofits
Founder-led Companies
Professional Services
Wellness Organizations
Small & Mid-Sized Businesses
Trusted by Leaders.
✔ Former COO
✔ Accounting Background
✔ Professional Certified Coach (PCC)
✔ Strategic Advisor
✔ Board Leadership Experience
✔ Healthcare • Nonprofit • Professional Services • Founder-Led Companies
TRAINING & CERTIFICATION
Next Steps
Let's discover if Caruso & Co. is the right fit for your business needs.
There are so many ways to connect - we're here and happy to help.
Don't miss out on real conversations with experienced business leaders.
Bernice Donato Coaching
Helping you create the next chapter of your life!
Before I was me...
Training and Certification
What my clients are saying…
WHAT MY CLIENTS ARE SAYING
My work with Bernice began at a critical time in life. I was working through a divorce, parenting struggles, and the need for a significant career shift. Therapy is something I was familiar with and was engaged in simultaneously, something to help me untangle the whys behind what got me where I was. But coaching is a different, equally critical tool, not just to get through a difficult time, but to thrive and see goals to fruition. Coaching with Bernice kept me from staying stuck on bad days, hurtful conversations, and self-limiting fears. Bernice's work may best be described as a partnership during transition and growth in both my home life and my career simultaneously, when allowing fear and uncertainty to influence my thoughts and actions could have had devastating consequences in the long run. My coaching work with Bernice supported my self-confidence as I made difficult choices, ones that felt like leaps of faith but that I was coached to believe and then experience as learning to listen to my gut. Over the course of 2 years, I made it through the challenges inherent in divorce, both emotionally and financially, and in career moves that were critical to my work towards self-actualization in that area of my life. In the last 7 years, I completed my doctorate, my career has flourished, my income tripled, and opportunities for growth have grown exponentially. These achievements happened during the vulnerable and opportunistic time of transition, and are feats I know were facilitated by my exceptional coach, Bernice.
D.S.
Dr. Of Physical Therapy, Health Care Policy and Regulatory Affairs Leader
Bernice has been coaching me for several years now and has helped me set personal and professional goals which, in turn, has given me a more “complete” feeling of control in my life. Prior to working with her, I always would question myself, “ I wish I did this or I should have done it this way.” I felt like I was stuck in neutral. She has helped me move forward. In one of our initial sessions, she did ELI assessment on my personality, which points out how I view situations with and without stress. She has taught me how to better handle stress, and then how to revisit the situation when I am not under stress. Each week we identify goals, and then work toward reaching them. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t have Bernice in my corner.
NANCY LENTINE, DO
Integrative Family Medicine
If you don’t know the meaning of a life coach, it is an eye-opening experience. Working with Bernice has altered the course of my personal and professional life in a way that I could have never imagined. She’s changed the course of my life; even at 60 years old! The tools utilized in her coaching sessions allow you to see the power within yourself that you never knew existed. That is what she does. You have the ability; but she gives you the tools to discover this ability within yourself. She not only helps you uncover your skills and talents, but she gives you the ability to execute. The E.L.I. assessment alone allows you to dig in deeper into what you possess and bring it to light.
PAM DONOVAN
President of Ethan & The Bean
When I started working with Bernice, I needed to make personal and professional changes. The problem was, I was terrified to change. I had little faith in my abilities. In addition, I felt stuck and completely overwhelmed. Bernice created a safe space for me to open up and be honest about my life and why I was unhappy. She has an uncanny ability to be disarming. Without feeling judged, I could get clear about some critical issues. Bernice helped me tap back onto my courage. We quickly identified the areas of my life I wanted to effect change. We worked through the steps I needed to take to move forward and created a plan of action to make it happen. She was an endless sea of resources and held back nothing. I genuinely felt like Bernice was equally invested in my success. I can't remember the last time I felt this strong, confident, and proud of myself. I am no longer at the effect of my life. I'm affecting my life now—what a powerful difference.
Angela Sepulveda
Sr. Buyer, Bluestem Brands
A few months ago, I expressed to Bernice an idea I had for a new business that I wanted to start developing. While I have run businesses in the past, I always came to a roadblock when having to plan and organize my websites and funnels. Bernice helped me to put legs under the business I now run, Life Assistants. She has given me the tools necessary to operate seamlessly, the systems that have improved my customer service, allowing customers to book and pay for their appointments with me by a click of a button, and she is constantly sharing ideas and suggestions with me so that I may continue to grow. Since working with Bernice, my clientele has gone up 350% !
Alyssa LoVerde
Owner, Life Assistants
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