# Claire Bonilla

> Claire Bonilla is the CEO and founder of the Redmond-based executive-coaching practice Ethos and a Vistage CEO peer-advisory chair. After a career spanning management consulting, 16 years at Microsoft, and leadership of SightLife, she now works with CEOs and senior executives on decisions where business performance, personal values, and responsibility meet.

- **Role:** CEO and Executive Coach at Ethos; CEO Peer Advisory Chair at Vistage Worldwide
- **Organizations:** Ethos, Vistage Worldwide, Benaroya Research Institute, SightLife, Microsoft, Ernst & Young, WomenLift Health, Washington Global Health Alliance, CorneaGen, Medical Teams International
- **Education:** MSc in Political Economies of Transition and Change, London School of Economics and Political Science, Bachelor's degree in Economics and German, Willamette University, Undergraduate study in Economics and German, University of Munich
- **Known for:** Coached more than 50 CEOs and senior executives across multiple industries., Led strategies credited with 60 percent growth in SightLife's work in developing countries before becoming CEO., Helped increase capacity by an average of 25 percent across more than 30 partner eye banks and supported the training of more than 300 surgeons during her SightLife leadership period.

## Career timeline

- **Before 1999** — Worked as a management consultant at Ernst & Young, including post-merger integration, organizational design, and change-management assignments.
- **1999-2015** — Spent 16 years at Microsoft in global roles spanning operations, governance, risk and compliance, data management, supply chains, enterprise sales, partner programs, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
- **2015** — Joined SightLife as Chief Global Officer.
- **2017** — Appointed CEO of SightLife after leading expansion of its international work.
- **2019** — Received a Microsoft Alumni Network AlumniHERO award.
- **2021** — Announced her transition from SightLife after nearly seven years with the organization and four years as CEO.
- **2022** — Founded the Redmond-based executive-coaching practice Ethos.
- **2023** — Recognized by Vistage among its Rookie Excellence Award winners for chair performance.
- **2024-present** — Continues as an Ethos executive coach, Vistage CEO peer-advisory chair, and community board leader.

## Achievements

- Coached more than 50 CEOs and senior executives across multiple industries.
- Led strategies credited with 60 percent growth in SightLife's work in developing countries before becoming CEO.
- Helped increase capacity by an average of 25 percent across more than 30 partner eye banks and supported the training of more than 300 surgeons during her SightLife leadership period.
- Received a Microsoft Alumni Network AlumniHERO award in 2019.
- Named one of Vistage's 2023 Rookie Excellence Award winners.
- Held board and advisory roles with Benaroya Research Institute, Washington Global Health Alliance, CorneaGen, Medical Teams International, and WomenLift Health.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Participated in Vistage ChairWorld 2026 programming and continued working with CEO peer groups.
- **2025-11** — Listed by Benaroya Research Institute as a Vistage Worldwide CEO peer-advisory chair and member of its advisory board.
- **2024-10** — Invited her network to Benaroya Research Institute's annual Impact of Innovation event in Seattle.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-bonilla-98181142

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/claire-bonilla
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-27