Bonnie Sussman-Versace

Founder & Operating Principal

Bonnie Sussman-Versace grew up in her parent’s retail clothing business, learning the value of great customer service at a very early age. In 1981, she became the Founder and Operating Principal of Commercial Design & Furnishings (CD&F), a $4.5M firm offering a unique turnkey business model from site selection, through all aspects of design, construction, fit-out, furnishing and relocation. The company prospered because it was passionately focused on providing a superb client experience such that an average of 83% of its business came from repeat and referred clients for 20 consecutive years.

In 2006, Bonnie created the model and co-founded FOCUSED, LLC to help businesses develop leadership potential, enhance culture and improve individual, team and enterprise-wide performance. Believing “Companies don’t grow unless their people grow,” Bonnie mentors owners, leaders, individuals and teams to help them accomplish more with greater confidence and control over outcomes. Challenging the notion that everyone is replaceable in a company, she encourages organizations to redefine their views to meet the changing demands in the workplace.

Bonnie is passionate about her work and the impact it has on people and organizations. Improving the quality of life for others by providing simple concepts that can be applied by any person, in any business and in any culture, is the purpose that drives her passion. By developing effective tools like Boot Camp for Business Owners® and THE ACT FORMULA®, she teaches company leaders and employees how to work together around heightened values of accountability, communication and trust.

Bonnie contributed her insights to business publications like the Lehigh Valley Business journal and Business Weekly, and is the author of Recipes for thoughtful leadership and healthy culture. Bonnie enjoys finding new opportunities to connect community organizations with local businesses and individuals. She was a founding member of BerksTALKLINE, providing much needed access to a non-judgmental hotline for youth and adults; facilitated a relationship between Infinity Culinary Training (South Africa) and Opportunity House (USA) to enable a sharing of information and resources for individuals and families in need; served as an active board and executive committee member for the Berks County Chamber of Commerce, BerksTALKLINE, Junior Achievement of Berks County, Inc., and Reading Area Community College Foundation Board; and, helped a local restauranteur realize his dream by organizing and launching People First, an annual event to acknowledge and show respect for more than 1000 homeless and less fortunate members of the Greater Reading community.

In 2014, Bonnie successfully built an international partnering relationship with SHEFA Enterprises, Ltd to share THE ACT FORMULA® program with businesses in South Africa. During subsequent visits, Bonnie facilitated leadership training for several groups, including the teachers and staff at Heritage Academy in Pietermaritzburg, second largest city in the KwaZulu-Natal province.

Her business and community leadership has earned her many of the region’s most prestigious honors and awards, including the PA Department of Economic Development “PA Best 50 Women in Business,” the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce and Industry “Small Business of the Year” and “Small Business Leader,” the Eastern PA Business Journal “Executive Spotlight,” and the Lehigh Valley Business “Women of Influence” awards.