Michele is a unicorn –– an experienced leader who drives with a distinctive blend of confidence, ambition, fearlessness, vulnerability, resilience, kindness and powerful grace. She has a great deal of integrity, is a strategic thinker, a creative problem-solver and has an enormous heart that she shares generously. Beyond these indispensable skills, she also has a great deal of pedigree in cultivating teams, pushing them to greatness by setting a high bar for excellence, as well as at operationalizing and scaling business in fast-paced, high-pressure environments. She is also a champion of talent in its many forms, creating a culture where people can show up as their most authentic selves. I’m lucky to not only call her my colleague, but most importantly a close friend. She is a true inspiration and an invaluable addition to any team. I couldn’t recommend her more highly.

Michele is a very enthusiastic, driven, hard working, dependable and dedicated professional with a high level of integrity. Her thoughtful approach, excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and resourcefulness are just some of the many assets she brings to the table. Michele also transmits a special human element and great energy to a team with marked sensitivity and genuine appreciation toward developing meaningful relationships while working hard to achieve the best possible results. Michele is a highly effective, well-rounded professional who would be a tremendous asset to any organization.

I have had the pleasure of working with Michele in a leadership position, and been able to see firsthand just how talented she is, not just within ‘people’, but in her ability as a leader to utilize multiple skillsets that stretch far beyond any given title. Micheles ease moving between strategy, operations, execution, personal and client management is unique and exceptional and when you add into the equation her calm, kind and truly patient demeanor you find yourself with an invaluable asset for any organisation. Michele understands people, and the nuances behind how they work, operate and think, and she is able to manage, develop and drive growth in organizations because of that.

Michele encompasses all of the qualities one looks for in a leader. She leads with empathy, kindness and respect, all while harnessing a power and authority that motivates everyone around her. I had the pleasure of working with Michele during my time at BD while she was the Chief People and Operations Officer, and I've never been part of a stronger culture than I was when she was at the helm. Her ability to foster an open, safe environment where people can speak their minds and work through any and all issues is admirable. I'm lucky to call her a mentor, and I know so many others do as well. She will be an invaluable asset in any role or endeavor she pursues in the future and I hope our paths cross again one day soon!

Michele has become my mental model of what an HR professional should be: I evaluate everyone else in terms of how they compare to her. I have honestly never met anyone who is able to so appropriately balance the human need for compassion and empathy with the business need for structure and process. Michele has gained my trust and regard to an extent that few other colleagues ever have. I consider it a privilege to have worked with her. She is a remarkable person.

I have worked with Michele at different companies in different roles over the last 24 years. Many things about her have not changed, and just continue to get even stronger over time: drive towards excellence; passion for the work; desire and intuition to enable every teammate to be their best selves, and for the team to do its best; solutions-oriented mindset; challenging and compassionate transparency; tireless leader. And she is a truly wonderful person.

I have had the wonderful pleasure of being Michele’s colleague for the past 3+ years at both WeGrow and Beautiful Destinations. In both roles, I reported to Michele who quickly became my mentor across all things People and Operations and taught me the importance of creating process, structure and most importantly, a strong and collaborative team. Michele is always thinking ten steps ahead in an effort to solve a problem before it happens. She leads with empathy in everything she does and always gives 110% to the task at hand, regardless of how big or small. Michele brought unparalleled value to our team.

Michele is a brilliant strategic thinker and her truly unique super power is being able to accurately and quickly read situations, people, and problems to be able to offer practical advice and coaching to C-level actors. I have seen this in action and am always impressed by her accuracy in diagnosing the core issues and offering the necessary (and at times, difficult) advice to executives. One thing I also want to point out is how much Michele holds people at the core of her work and how in every single work environment, she becomes the “go-to” person for advice - across all levels of the organization. She is the most trusted and strategic advisor I can think of.

I had the pleasure of working with Michele in my role as an investment banker heavily involved in recruiting and training analyst (undergrad) and associate (MBA) hires.

The first thing one is struck by when working with Michele is her deep affection and commitment to the Company's goals. In everything that she does - the preparation, presentation, execution and follow-up - it is apparent that she is working diligently for the benefit of the organization. To this point, Jefferies saw a meteoric rise in its performance and quality of personnel during Michele's 12 years and her contribution is a big part of that.

In addition to her work, Michele is an engaging and professional presence in the office. Her enthusiastic and approachable demeanor makes people want to be around her. She is an asset to any situation or organization.

I had the pleasure of working with Michele during my time at Beautiful Destinations. Michele is one of the most thoughtful and selfless leaders I have experienced in my 25+ years as a professional. She leads with empathy, always has a willing ear regardless of how busy she may be and applies logic and sound strategic thinking that is grounded in reality and being solutions oriented. Michele is an advocate for helping individuals and the business find their true purpose which results in a net positive for all parties and she manages to do it all with a smile and a great laugh. She is truly one of the great human beings and leaders out there.