Spirit of Maine Achievement Award Recipient
Justin Labonte is a vice president of global finance at Emerson, a worldwide Fortune 200 company with nearly $20 billion in annual revenue. Labonte rose to this position in nine short years, beginning his career as an audit senior associate at Ernst & Young. He earned a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 2016, and began his tenure at Emerson as a senior financial analyst. In less than six years, Labonte was promoted to manager of financial reporting and director of financial planning and analysis before reaching his current position.
A native of Lewiston, Labonte graduated from Lewiston High School and came to Orono to earn his undergraduate degree, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science, double majoring in management and accounting.
As a student at UMaine, Labonte stayed busy as an active leader on campus. He was a member of the Sophomore Owls, the Senior Skull Society, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Alpha Kappa Psi. He also served for two years as the vice president for financial affairs of the UMaine Student Government.
Labonte joined the University of Maine Alumni Association Board of Directors in 2015, and in 2016 he was elected treasurer. For six years Labonte lent his expertise to the Alumni Association in that role, helping the organization completely restructure and improve their financial management processes. His dedication went above and beyond during the transition, committing a great deal of time and effort to the process. Although his board term expired in 2022, he remains on the Finance Committee, continuing to offer his sound and prudent guidance.
Labonte currently serves on the UMaine Board of Visitors, where he helps advise the president and serves as a public advocate for the University of Maine. His professionalism, his rapid career ascent to such a prestigious position, and his character are all attributes that have led Labonte to be selected for the Spirit of Maine Achievement Award.
He resides with his wife, Maggie ’10, and son, Henry, in New Milford, Connecticut.
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