Roberta E. Sonnino, MD, FACS, FAAP is an executive and career coach with RES Coaching LLC, where she specializes in coaching individuals through career transitions, and in optimizing their current and/or new roles. She is a Professor of Pediatric Surgery (Retired) at Wayne State University and a Contributed Service Professor in the Center for Health Policy and Ethics at Creighton University. Dr. Sonnino previously served as Professor of Pediatric Surgery and faculty affairs dean at Wayne State University School of Medicine, the University of Minnesota Medical School, and Creighton University School of Medicine.

A native of New York, Dr. Sonnino moved to Venice, Italy, with her family as a young child. She completed her secondary schooling in Italy, and received her MD at the University of Padova, the oldest medical school in the world. She moved back to the U.S. for her post-graduate training, with internships in pediatrics at the Children's Hospital in Cincinnati and in surgery at the University of Minnesota. She completed her general surgery residency at Henry Ford Hospital and her pediatric surgery fellowship at the Montreal Children's Hospital.

Dr. Sonnino practiced pediatric surgery for many years, achieving the rank of Professor, Chief of pediatric surgery and Pediatric surgeon-in-chief at 2 US Medical Schools. Her research on the study of ischemic injury to the intestine and intestinal graft preservation was funded by the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. She has published over 75 peer-reviewed published articles, and given over 100 major presentations.

Dr. Sonnino completed the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) fellowship in 1998, and currently is a member of the program's faculty and a 360 evaluations (Benchmarks, CCL) coach. She has served as an officer and committee member for more than 15 professional societies; she is a past chair of the AAMC Group on Faculty Affairs, past president of the Academy of Surgical Research and the Society for Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (SELAM). During her faculty affairs career, Dr. Sonnino developed numerous successful programs in faculty development, professional career advancement, mentoring and women in medicine. One of her pet projects is helping faculty find creative venues for scholarly activity, such as the use of her own hobby of photography as a source of scholarship.

Dr, Sonnino is a passionate photographer, has published dozens of photographs, and has had four solo exhibits of her series of medical images entitled "Fragile Beginnings." She runs her own photography business (Hi RES Photos), and serves as a volunteer photographer for "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep - Infant Bereavement Photography." A monograph, "Journey to Authenticity: Voices of Chief Residents" with photography by Dr. Sonnino, was published by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in May 2007, and received several awards. In April 2013, Dr. Sonnino became a certified professional photographer (CPP), by passing the certification exam and image portfolio review by the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). Executive Coaching and photography are now her full-time "retirement" occupations.