Michelle trained at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and played the violin professionally before moving into the charity sector. She has supported the Peter Sowerby Foundation in grant design and management since 2012.
 
Michelle’s portfolio of work across the charity sector includes major strategic and business development projects, including campaign developments with a number of national charities and consultancy work for FTSE 100 brands, developing their sponsorship and CSR programmes. Michelle also specialises in philanthropy, having recently developed a number of major philanthropy projects for charities and corporates, and having set up new philanthropic foundations for sports stars, artists and entrepreneurs.
 
Michelle has a specialism in charitable governance programmes and runs the national Trustee Leadership Programme supporting talent and skills development onto charity Boards across both service and grant-based charities, as well as delivering governance reviews for a wide range of national charities.
 
She was awarded the Freedom of City of London by the Guild of Entrepreneurs in 2016 and was voted the most influential woman in fundraising in the AI Global Awards 2018.