Meet an Industry professional
Antoine at U.S Bank
From Flour to Finance
a Conversation with Antione J. LaFromboise
About him…..
With humble beginnings working as a corporate communication intern for General Mills to his current position as VP Communications at one of the largest banks in the world, Antione J LaFromboise has a lot to offer when it comes to mentorship and learnings from a strong industry leader.
Lafromboise was born and raised in Minnesota and didn’t stray far from home as we obtained his masters degree from the Carlson school of Management, at the University of Minnesota. Following what he claims to be his first real professional experience as an intern at General Mills, LaFromboise decided to get involved in the technology space. In conversation with him, you’d have thought he already lived a million lives in his roughly 13 years of professional experience. His knowledge and expertise is vast as he dipped his toes into many different industries - yet, the common thread throughout was his love for strategic communications.
After completing his Masters program he jumped into communications for one of the largest American retailers, Target. But it was being a Bullseye publicist that really helped him fall in love with the craft of crisis communications and PR. He attests that most valuable position that he held was when he went into the law space and worked closely with executives and CEO - it was here that he began to understand that their client interactions and perceptions matter. He reflects on how he had to do a lot of handholding, which he found time consuming, but an extremely valuable skill to have in the corporate world. His trajectory at US Bank started off by his role supporting the digital marketing team This role quickly expanded for LaFromboise and he now works as the Vice President of communications leading around a 20,000 person team.
Eager to learn more? Let’s dive into the conversation:
The interview….
What is the most challenging, but most rewarding part of your job?
“The most challenging part is the demand of everything because there are so many different branches and demands but what is rewarding is that it keeps his days dynamic and interesting and he feels a sense of purpose and meaning.” He believes that compartmentalizing things are crucial to doing his job effectively and properly.
What are some of the current trends and challenges within the communications field right now?
“Looking into how AI is going to affect the communications industry. Banking is a pretty traditional organization due to all the stakeholders and regulations. The competition has broadened (square). They are legally bound to the same regulations as traditional banks. The biggest challenge is how we can move faster to help the clients needs. For the internal processes what do we do with our communications. There are always many more steps and approvals needed with U.S. bank and it sometimes causes them to loose opportunities”.
What led you to this industry? Did you enter college pursuing something different?
What he really enjoys is that he has been working across many different industries. He was able to work with higher education, agency, professional services and now banking. “Communications is a very unique field that allows people to work across many industries. There is no time table and you path is your path”.
Have you ever accepted your first offer letter?
Every time after the first offer. “Negotiation is good and expected”.
What are skills and commitments needed to be successful in your field?
“The ability to track many things at once, planning, being concise, time management”.
Do you have a favorite work experience story?
He was able to support a leader named Tim Walsh (CBB). His belief was leaning into psychology with marketing and communications. His favorite experience was seeing Tim motivate his team and seeing Tim tell his story to people. “From a communications standpoint, it was great to see that practice in person and in action”.
What was your dream job and does it align with what you are currently doing?
When he was in school, he did a career assessment class and PR was on his list. It does align, he gets to work with the senior executives and tells the company's story. He has had quite a few pinch me moments. Those younger dreams influenced him. He knows that you need to be a leader and need to have substance, interpersonal relations, and hold attention. As well as needing to be short and clear. His first dream jobs as a child were a weatherman, an anchor, and a talk show host. There is definitely a common theme.
If you had to start your career from scratch, what would you do differently?
He has always learned from his mistakes and he has made career limiting mistakes. Looking back he would have done more investigation with talking to people and asking for input on his projects. Ask for advice and tips with research, not coming with no ideas. Everything happens for a reason and don’t let yourself get discouraged.
What has been the most important company value that has led you to each of your positions?
He has very strong values. Within PR, he values growth within the junior employees. Agency work taught him alot. The most important value is believing in the company’s core value and having significance and purpose. He loves seeing how his work translates to outcomes. He feels value in pushing the elevation of the company. One clear value he can remember is Target's value of pursuit and demand for excellence. Everyone was held to a very high standard therefore, expectations were very high.
Final Thoughts:
Hearing from such established professionals like Antoine LaFombrosie leaves us with an insightful back-stage look into various industries. Leaders like LaFombrosie inspire others to join together under common goals and work experiences - he works to provide the next generation with the tools for success. His love for his Alma Mater, the University of Minnesota, and its students is admirable. If there is one thing to take away from this conversation its that developing the soft skills like compartmentalizing and time management are vital to a strong and meaningful career progression.
*This was done for a school project- Write a profile of this person, in blog form. Use the tips from class and the textbook to create a post