{{short description|American business executive (born 1965)}} {{Infobox person | name = Michelle Seitz | image = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing brackets --> | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|07|09}}<ref name="Mooney2017"/> | birth_place = | occupation = | years_active = | known_for = Former chair and CEO, Russell Investments | notable_works = | alma_mater = Indiana University's Kelley School of Business }}
'''Michelle Seitz''' is an American business executive and investor. She is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Russell Investments. Seitz is one of few women in the world who has led a global asset management firm.<ref name="Kline2019">{{cite news |title=Most Powerful Women in Finance: No. 18, Russell Investments' Michelle Seitz |last1=Kline |first1=Alan |url=https://www.americanbanker.com/news/most-powerful-women-in-finance-for-2019-no-18-russell-investments-michelle-seitz |work=American Banker |date=September 22, 2019 |access-date=March 11, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Wigglesworth2018">{{cite news |title=Asset managers warned over costs as pressures grow |last1=Wigglesworth |first1=Robin |url=https://www.ft.com/content/62e8d7bc-e695-11e8-8a85-04b8afea6ea3 |work=Financial Times |date=November 13, 2018 |access-date=March 9, 2020}}</ref> She is, according to ''Barron's'', one of the "most influential women in U.S. finance".<ref name="Fortuna20">{{cite news |title=100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance |last1=Fortuna |first1=Nick |url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/barrons-100-most-influential-women-in-u-s-finance-michelle-seitz-51586523600 |work=Barron's |date=April 10, 2020 |access-date=July 7, 2020}}</ref> ''American Banker'' lists her as one of the "most powerful women in finance."<ref name="Kline2019"/> Prior to her role at Russell Investments, she served on the board of William Blair & Company and as chief executive of William Blair Investment Management. In 2022, she left Russell Investments to launch the investment firm of MeydenVest Partners.<ref name="maydenvest" />
==Early life and education== Michelle Seitz grew up in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and her parents divorced when she was four years old.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Consol |first1=Mike |title=Profile: Michelle Seitz, ex-CEO of William Blair and Russell Investments, and founder of MeydenVest Partners |url=https://irei.com/publications/article/profile-michelle-seitz-ex-ceo-of-william-blair-and-russell-investments-and-founder-of-meydenvest-partners/ |access-date=20 June 2025 |work=Real Assets Adviser |volume=11 |issue=6 |publisher=Institutional Real Estate, Inc. |date=June 1, 2024}}</ref> She decided to pursue a career in finance while on a high school class trip to the Chicago Board of Trade.<ref name="Mooney2017">{{cite news |title=Russell's new chief says it's time to get 'personal' |last1=Mooney |first1=Attracta |url=https://www.ft.com/content/9981df8a-cebd-11e7-9dbb-291a884dd8c6 |work=Financial Times |date=December 12, 2017 |access-date=March 6, 2020}}</ref> She graduated from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in 1987 with a B.S. in accounting. Seitz became a Chartered Financial Analyst in 1990.<ref name="Mooney2017"/>
==Career== Seitz began her career in 1987 as a portfolio manager at NationsBank in Charlotte, North Carolina.<ref name="Kline2019"/> She received the firm's "rookie of the year" award in 1988 for best performance.<ref name="Kline2019"/> From 1992 to 1996, she was a senior portfolio manager at Concord Investment Company.<ref name="Mooney2017"/>
=== William Blair & Company === Seitz joined William Blair & Company as a senior portfolio manager in 1996 and was promoted to partner in 1999.<ref name="Mooney2017"/><ref name="Palmer 2007">{{cite news |title=Nearing graduation, student didn't settle for unwanted job |last1=Palmer |first1=Ann Therese |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-03-25-0703230617-story.html |work=Chicago Tribune |date=March 25, 2007 |access-date=July 7, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Mooney2016">{{cite news |title=Demographic shift stunts fund industry's growth |last1=Mooney |first1=Attracta |url=https://www.ft.com/content/5f44e436-219c-11e6-aa98-db1e01fabc0c |work=Financial Times |date=May 26, 2016 |access-date=March 12, 2020}}</ref> In 2001, Seitz was named CEO of William Blair Investment Management (WBIM), which she grew to become the company's largest division.<ref name="marek2014">{{cite news |title=Cranking up Blair's megaphone |last1=Marek |first1=Lynne |url=https://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20140322/ISSUE02/303229990/william-blair-s-global-investment-strategy-yields-new-investors-high-returns |work=Crain's Chicago Business |date=March 22, 2014 |access-date=July 14, 2020}}</ref> Serving as WBIM's CEO for 16 years, Seitz ran the institutional, mutual fund, and private wealth management businesses.<ref name="Kline2019"/> She also served on the executive committee and corporate board of William Blair and as the chairman and president of William Blair Funds.<ref name="Mooney2017"/><ref name="McElhaney17">{{cite news |title=Russell Investments Names Michelle Seitz CEO |last1=McElhaney |first1=Alicia |url=https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b15130r29p1mtq/russell-investments-names-michelle-seitz-ceo |work=Institutional Investor |date=September 5, 2017 |access-date=March 12, 2020}}</ref> To increase diversity at the firm, Seitz instituted a policy requiring at least half of all interview candidates must be either women or ethnic minorities.<ref name="Mooney2016"/>
=== Russell Investments === In September 2017, Seitz left William Blair in Chicago to join Seattle-based Russell Investments as CEO.<ref name="reuters2017">{{cite news |title=CORRECTED-MOVES-Russell Investments names new CEO |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/russell-investments-seitz/corrected-moves-russell-investments-names-new-ceo-idUSL2N1LM12V |publisher=Reuters |date=September 5, 2017 |access-date=March 12, 2020}}</ref> She was appointed chairman of the board the following January.<ref name="Fortuna20"/> She hired a new chief operating officer,<ref name="Banerjee2018">{{cite news |title=Russell Investments names Rick Smirl chief operating officer |last1=Banerjee |first1=Arunima |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russell-investments-moves-rick-smirl/russell-investments-names-rick-smirl-chief-operating-officer-idUSKBN1KA165 |publisher=Reuters |date=July 20, 2018 |access-date=July 8, 2020}}</ref> and global chief investment officer,<ref name="Butera2019">{{cite news |title=Russell Exec to Steer CIO Ship Once Again |last1=Butera |first1=Chris |url=https://www.ai-cio.com/news/russell-exec-steer-cio-ship/ |work=Chief Investment Officer Magazine |date=January 31, 2019 |access-date=July 8, 2020}}</ref><ref name="McElhaney18">{{cite news |title=Russell Investments Hires New CFO Amid C-Suite Shakeup |last1=McElhaney |first1=Alicia |url=https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b1bmgzxptcqjpq/Russell-Investments-Hires-New-CFO-Amid-C-Suite-Shakeup |work=Institutional Investor |date=November 1, 2018 |access-date=March 12, 2020}}</ref> and invested heavily in technology to reduce inefficiencies, with a goal of lowering costs and improving returns for clients.<ref name="Kline2019"/><ref name="Platt2019">{{cite news |title=Asset manager Russell Investments put up for sale |last1=Platt |first1=Eric |last2=Fontanella-Khan |first2= James |last3=Walker |first3=Owen |url=https://www.ft.com/content/55c70c8a-0a5b-11ea-bb52-34c8d9dc6d84 |work=Financial Times |date=November 18, 2019 |access-date=March 12, 2020}}</ref>
Seitz is the seventh CEO and the first woman chief executive since Russell Investments' founding in 1936.<ref name="Mooney2017"/><ref name="Garnick2020">{{cite news |title=Investment firm's first female CEO reflects on 'rarity and responsibility' of her position |last1=Garnick |first1=Coral |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/profiles-strategies/2020/01/investment-firms-first-female-ceo-reflects-on.html?page=all |work=Puget Sound Business Journal |date=January 3, 2020 |access-date=March 12, 2020 |issn=8750-7757}}</ref> She is one of few women leading global investment firms worldwide.<ref name="Kline2019"/><ref name="Garnick2020"/><ref name="Wigglesworth2018"/>
In 2019 and 2020, Seitz was featured on ''American Banker''{{'s}} "Most Powerful Women in Finance" and "Most Powerful Women in Banking" lists.<ref name="Staff2019">{{cite news |title=Women in Banking: The Most Powerful in 2019 |url=https://www.americanbanker.com/news/women-in-banking-the-most-powerful-in-2019 |work=American Banker |date=September 22, 2019 |access-date=March 12, 2020}}</ref><ref name="AB2019">{{cite news |title=The Most Powerful Women in Finance |url=https://www.americanbanker.com/list/most-powerful-women-in-finance |work=American Banker |date=2019 |access-date=March 12, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Laurent">{{cite journal |last1=Laurent |first1=William |title=Most Powerful Women in Finance: Michelle Seitz, Russell Investments |journal=American Banker |date=September 28, 2020 |url=https://www.americanbanker.com/news/most-powerful-women-in-finance-for-2020-michelle-seitz-russell-investments |access-date=October 12, 2020}}</ref> She was named to ''Puget Sound Business Journal''{{'s}} 2019 "Power 100" list of top business leaders in the Puget Sound region.<ref name="lambert">{{cite news |title=The inaugural PSBJ Power 100 features leaders who define the region (Photos) |last1=Lambert |first1=Ryan |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2019/10/07/revealed-the-psbjs-inaugural-power-100-leaders-who.html |work=Puget Sound Business Journal |date=October 7, 2019 |access-date=July 20, 2020}}</ref> ''Barron's'' named Seitz one of the "100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance" in 2020.<ref name="Fortuna20"/>
=== MeydenVest Partners === In September 2022, Seitz left Russell Investments to launch her own investment form, MeydenVest Partners.<ref name="maydenvest">{{cite web |last=McElhaney |first=Alicia |date=February 8, 2023 |title=Russell Investments Taps BlackRock Exec for New CEO |url=https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/2bstq4h4e2sqjwzu9cjr4/corner-office/russell-investments-taps-blackrock-exec-for-new-ceo |work=Institutional Investor}}</ref>
==Other roles== Seitz is a founding member and donor to All In Seattle, a fund supporting nonprofit organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a founding co-chair of the Chicago Council's Women and Global Development Forum, which encourages "inclusive global development practices" and supports women "advancing into leadership roles".<ref name=Laurent/>
Seitz serves on the boards of the Washington Roundtable and Indiana University Kelley School of Business.<ref name="Garnick2020"/> She has served on the board of trustees of the Financial Accounting Foundation and chaired the organization's Finance and Compensation Committee.<ref name="FAF">{{cite news |title=Michelle R. Seitz Board of Trustees |url=https://www.accountingfoundation.org/cs/ContentServer?c=FAFContent_C&cid=1176159745068&d=&pagename=Foundation%2FFAFContent_C%2FGeneralContentDisplay |work=Financial Accounting Foundation |access-date=July 8, 2020}}</ref>
==Personal life== Seitz relocated from Chicago, Illinois to Seattle, Washington with her family in 2018.<ref name="Mooney2017"/> She is married and has five children.<ref name="Kline2019"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seitz, Michelle}} Category:Living people Category:20th-century American businesswomen Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:21st-century American businesswomen Category:21st-century American businesspeople Category:American women chief executives Category:American women investors Category:American investors Category:1965 births Category:Kelley School of Business alumni Category:CFA charterholders Category:American chief executives of financial services companies