About Michele

Michele Sagan started her career in banking and finance — at UBS Warburg, HSBC, and CIMB — before moving into human capital strategy and leadership development. That transition shaped everything that followed. She understands what boards and executive teams are actually managing, and she brings that perspective into every engagement.

She spent the better part of a decade in senior roles at PwC Southeast Asia, the Asia School of Business in collaboration with MIT Sloan, and the Iclif Leadership and Governance Centre, working with some of the region's most complex organisations on strategy, leadership, talent, and transformation. Her clients have included MISC Berhad, Prudential Malaysia, Air Selangor, Fraser & Neave Group, Thompson Medical Group, AirAsia, AICB, CIMB, Petronas, BASF, CEVA, ONE, the US Embassy, and Indian Railways, among others.

In 2025, Michele completed her PhD in the Future of Work at the University of Nottingham. Her dissertation — on Generative Sustainability as a human resource framework — is the foundation for her book, Future Shaping: Leadership for Generative Organisations, published by Penguin Random House. She is a Malaysian HR Icon and recognised among the Insight250 Top 250 Global Thought Leaders.

Michele is also the founder of the Insights Platform — a suite of proprietary diagnostic tools used by organisations across APAC to understand and develop their human capital — and the Insights Skills learning platform at insights.academy.

She holds degrees from the London School of Economics and is a certified psychotherapist, executive coach (ICF), and 6 Seconds EQ practitioner.

Future of Work Specialist, Nottingham University

Well-being Specialist & EQ Practitioner, Six Seconds

Team Development, Marshall Goldsmith Institute

Human Capital Consultant, Human Capital Institute, US

Trainer & Consultant,

Human Resource Development Corporation

Leadership Development, ICLIF Leadership & Governance Centre

Instructional Designer, Association of Talent Development

Executive Coach, International Coaching Federation

Psychotherapist, Malaysian Association of Psychotherapist

KEY NOTE SPEAKER & FACILITATOR

Michele has delivered multiple keynote speeches and facilitated numerous panel discussions over the years on topics such as Generative Organisations and the Future of Leadership, AI Readiness and the Human Edge, Leading Through Disruption, Futures Literacy for Senior Leaders, Organisational Resilience and Sustainability, the Future of HR, Talent Strategy in an AI-Shaped World, and Culture Transformation at Scale at events including Managing Talent for the Future, Malaysian Women's Leadership, Future Workforce, International Women's Day, Leadership, Energy and Sustainability, Future Forward Malaysia, and many others.

She has served as both a speaker and panel moderator for various organisations and institutions, including the US Embassy, TalentCorp (a Malaysian agency that drives talent strategy), the 30% Club (an organisation that advocates for greater female representation on corporate boards), the Malaysian Dutch Business Council, Thomas International, ICLIF, and ASB.

She has facilitated sessions and trained board members and senior management teams for organisations around the world, including Shell, Petronas, Prudential, Indian Railways, Thomson Life Sciences, AirAsia, CIMB, HSBC, and many others.

She has also travelled extensively, delivering leadership programmes in cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, New Delhi, Mumbai, locations across Vietnam, Bali, London, Bangkok, and Tokyo. Through her insight and experience, she has developed deep expertise in leadership, organisational transformation, and future-ready talent development.

Michele has also contributed to the development of students and young people around the world. She has taught MBA students, Master of Central Banking students, and undergraduates from diverse backgrounds, covering topics related to the future of work, leadership, and the emerging trends shaping organisations and society.

In addition, she has engaged with nursery, primary, and secondary school students in communities ranging from underserved areas in Delhi to refugee schools in Malaysia. She has helped establish schools and scholarship programmes in the interior of Borneo and has collaborated with neuroscientists and psychologists to develop brain development and leadership programmes for children. Her work earned recognition in the Malaysian Book of Records for creating the largest mind map in Malaysia. Her programmes have reached more than 5,000 children worldwide.

Michele believes that everyone has a role to play in shaping the future, especially the next generation.

Keynote Topics include:

Generative organisations and the future of leadership

AI readiness and the human edge

Leading through disruption

Futures literacy for senior leaders

Organisational resilience and sustainability

The future of HR

Talent strategy in an AI-shaped world

Culture transformation at scale

Comments from Exco Participants

Michele created an environment for everyone to be open and honest

Michelle's facilitation was superb. Clear and managed to bring out the issues from leaders

Engaging sessions with lots of discussion and sharing among participants

The facilitator is able to extract the essence

Well organized and attention to detail