Michele has spent her career thus far in a diverse range of roles, geographies organisations in the Food & Beverage industry.
She currently leads the Food Sector Initiative for the University of Melbourne, bringing research closer to industry for impact.
Prior to this, she was she was Head of Regional Innovation APAC at Givaudan(world leading Flavour & Fragrance company), where she was responsible marketing, innovation and functional ingredients.
She spent 7 years with Givaudan driving the innovation agenda in both Europe, in Savoury and Snacks and latterly in APAC across all food segments, working with leading multinationals, large and regional Asian companies and start ups.
She was instrumental in developing the innovation strategy and the strategy deployment framework, particularly in plant protein, ingredient sustainability, performance of ingredients over time, evolution of iconic flavours and early work defining flavour and nutraceutical ingredients and their role in healthy aging. She was responsible for the Protein Innovation Centre, based in Singapore.
Michele has worked across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia including Australia & New Zealand, and has held significant roles in innovation, marketing, strategic planning, and managing director for renowned multinational manufacturing businesses like Kerry Ingredients and McCormick.
During this time, she has led several acquisitions, joint innovation programs and commercialisations and new product development initiatives. She has transformed the businesses that she has led, to enable next phases of growth.
Throughout her career, Michele has engaged in diverse sectors across the food industry. such as retail, food service, FMCG, and Ingredients.
Michele embarked on her career in the Food Industry in South Africa following her graduation from Rhodes University, where she earned a BSc in Biochemistry and Microbiology. She also holds a BA HS&SS in applied Psychology for professional contexts from the University of South Africa.