Robert L Darbelnet

Robert Darbelnet is a longtime CEO, board advisor, and leadership mentor whose career spans more than four decades of guiding organizations through growth, crisis, and transformation. Known for his practical, candid approach to leadership, he has spent his career helping teams build trust, make sound decisions, and create cultures where people do their best work.

Bob served as President and CEO of AAA (American Automobile Association), where he led one of the largest membership organizations in North America. Earlier in his career, he held other leadership roles, giving him a ground level understanding of how organizations really function, from the boardroom to the breakroom.

Bob’s boardroom experience includes a distinguished record on seventeen boards across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. He chaired seven of the boards he served on, and his governance work spans hospitals, higher education, the performing arts, insurance, international trade associations, automotive intelligence, traffic safety, and some of the world’s largest mobility and travel organizations.

In retirement, Bob turned to writing as a way to pass on what experience taught him: the lessons, the mistakes, the judgment calls, and the principles that shape effective leadership. His book, THE CEO’S PLAYBOOK – Leading from the Boardroom to the Breakroom, distills those insights into nearly 100 short, practical chapters designed to help leaders at every level shorten their learning curve.

He continues to mentor emerging executives, write weekly leadership essays, and share the wisdom he wishes someone had handed him earlier in his career.