"A great hire fills a role. The right leader transforms a company."

In 2000, I placed my first Site Leader with a major US medtech multinational. I remember the weight of that appointment: what it meant for the business, for the people on that site, and for the growth it set in motion. More than thirty years into my career, that sense of responsibility hasn't changed. It remains the reason I do this work.

My career began in California in 1994, when I joined a recruitment firm and discovered a profession I have never stopped loving. I went on to co-found HERO, and I have since led more than 40 executive appointments across Ireland's medtech, pharma, engineering and manufacturing sectors. Working with my team, I have also helped more than 75 employers make over 195 leadership hires. These appointments span Site Leaders, General Managers and C-suite executives, Directors of Operations, Engineering, Quality and HR, as well as senior managers responsible for turning strategy into operational performance.

For organisations appointing a senior leader

A senior appointment is never just a hire. It shapes culture, confidence and performance for years to come. My work begins well before the search does: understanding the strategy behind the brief, the culture the leader will step into, and what success must look like in the first twelve months.

I bring a commercial lens to every mandate. As co-founder and director of HERO, I have spent decades building, running and growing a business. I have led it through economic cycles and taken responsibility for strategy, finance, compliance and risk. I know first-hand what leadership demands when the decisions are yours to make. That experience is reinforced by a Masters in Management of Operations, a degree in HR Management and an ACCA Diploma in Accounting & Finance. I assess leaders the way a board would: through operational impact, people leadership and financial judgement.

Many of my client relationships have spanned decades, and much of my work is conducted in complete confidence. That includes replacing a senior leader, building a leadership team, entering a new market, or making an appointment the market must not see yet.

For senior leaders considering their next move

The most significant leadership opportunities are rarely advertised, and the best conversations often begin long before a role exists. I offer you an honest, informed view of the market, of your value within it, and of whether now is the right time to move. Sometimes the right answer is "not yet", and that is a valuable outcome too. Every conversation is held in strict confidence.

I work with leaders across Ireland and internationally, including many Irish professionals abroad who are weighing the right moment, and the right role, to return. Having started my own career overseas, I understand that this decision is about far more than a job title.

HERO's industry awards are a source of real pride. What I value most, though, are the relationships behind them: the clients who call me first when an appointment truly matters, and the leaders who, years after our first conversation, still pick up the phone to talk about what comes next.

Hiring a senior leader? Let's discuss your appointment in confidence. Book a call with Michelle
Considering your next move? Begin with a private conversation, or share your CV confidentially. Talk to Michelle | Share your CV in confidence