Michelle Hirsch

Co-President & Third Generation Owner, Brunswick Cos.

Education: MBA, Case Western University’s Weatherhead School of Business; bachelor’s degree, Pennsylvania State University

What Success Looks Like to Me: Success means building an organization that our employees are proud to work for, our clients trust with their most important assets and our community is better because of. If we can do that while continuing to grow and adapt in a changing world, that’s success to me.

What I Look for in a Leader: Self awareness. The best leaders know what they know, what they don’t know and aren’t threatened by people who are smarter than they are in certain areas. 

An Important Lesson I Learned: People want to be seen, not managed. Early in my career, I thought expertise was what built trust. Over time, I’ve learned that relationships build trust. Whether I’m working with a professional athlete, a family business owner or a Fortune 500 executive, they’re all people first. They have families, worries, goals and responsibilities just like everyone else. When you treat people like people instead of titles, better conversations happen and stronger relationships follow.