Laura J. Lofaro established Sterling Resources International, Inc., in New York in 1988. Serving as founder and chief executive officer, she has led Sterling Resources International to success over the 33 years of its existence. Sterling Resources International is a Retained Executive Search and Management Consulting firm with specialization in Investment Banking and Capital Markets. Since 1988, the firm has overseen more than 200 assignments in the financial services sector and has capitalized on long-lasting relationships with group heads, managing directors, directors and vice presidents on Wall Street. In addition, the firm has successfully discovered candidates for a myriad of groups and serves as a strategic advisor to provide new knowledge of emerging markets to their clients. As founder and chief executive officer, Ms. Lofaro was one of the first individuals to place a woman in a leading banking position at Morgan Stanley in 1997. Likewise, she has also placed women as heads of health care management at various American Bulge Bracket firms with a worldwide client base.
Prior to founding Sterling Resources International, Ms. Lofaro served as an associate with Hawkes Randolph in New York from 1987 to 1988, where she developed the firm’s Retainer Investment Banking practice. Drawing upon a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art History, cum laude, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, both from the College of New Rochelle, Ms. Lofaro is noteworthy in her field for her expertise in Corporate Finance, Equity and Debt Capital Markets, Leveraged Finance, Private Equity and Real Estate, among other distinguished areas.
Outside of her primary endeavors, Ms. Lofaro has served as a guest lecturer for the MBA Program at the Columbia University Business School and has excelled as a guest speaker for Bloomberg News. Profiled in numerous industry publications, she also authored each year “Projected Compensation for Investment Banking” beginning in 1989, which has served as a valuable tool for clients with budgeting and projection planning.
Civically involved, Ms. Lofaro has maintained membership with the board of trustees of the Museum of the City of New York, the board of fundraising of Southampton Hospital and the risk assessment committee of The Lord’s Place, an organization that provides shelter for the homeless population, housing education and job training.
To attest to her success, Ms. Lofaro was named among the Top 100 Women in Finance by Top 100 People in Finance Magazine in 2020. She was also selected for inclusion in Who’s Who of American Women and is a member of the National Association of Female Executives. Looking toward the future, she is passionate about working toward ending the cycle of homelessness with The Lord’s Place. Additionally, she would like to educate and empower young women in personal and professional arenas, as well as further develop Sterling Resources International.