She began her career in PR before moving to New York, where she was quickly headhunted by Estée Lauder Companies. There, she worked on Prescriptives and Crème de la Mer before being promoted to Vice President, Global Communications at MAC Cosmetics following its acquisition by Estée Lauder Companies.
During her time at MAC, Michelle helped lead the brand to become the world’s biggest make-up brand. She also spearheaded the iconic MAC AIDS Fund and Viva Glam initiatives, recognising early on that beauty could be a powerful force for broader social awareness and meaningful change.
After returning to the UK, Michelle went on to hold several senior leadership roles, including CEO of St Tropez, where she pioneered the brand’s collaboration with The Prince’s Trust, and CEO of the PZ Cussons Beauty Division. Following a career sabbatical, she returned to the industry with a new venture.
Michelle is now the founder of Floral Street, a modern British fragrance brand built around sustainability and eco-responsibility. Through Floral Street, she is bringing together her lifelong passion for beauty, brand-building and innovation, while championing a more conscious approach to fragrance.
Highlights
The Irish side of me has always been open, nobody's better than you, everybody, you know, be good to everyone.
There's no excuses, you have to take yourself seriously. With whatever comes, you can overcome that and you can step forward.
I think that's been a driving factor in me being able successful as well, not to let myself down.
My mantra now is, how can I make the people that work with me the best they can be at what they're good at and not expecting them to be good at everything.
Where I'm absolutely happiest is when I've cooked an incredible meal and I'm sitting with my family and we're just being.