Michelle Seitz is Chairman and CEO of Russell Investments and a Director at Sana Biotechnology. At Russell Investments, the world’s fourth largest investment adviser, she leads a firm with $300 billion in assets under management and $2.5 trillion in assets under advisement for clients in 32 countries around the world.

In 2017, Michelle was recruited to Russell Investments to transform the firm in terms of growth and corporate culture. She has since restructured the management team, revamped client offerings, and built sales and profitability while focusing the firm around its core purpose, “to improve people’s financial security.” Before joining Russell Investments, Michelle spent 22 years at William Blair, serving 16 years on the firm’s board, as CEO of William Blair Investment Management, and as Chairman of the Board of William Blair Funds. Through continuous innovation, she drove a five-fold growth in William Blair’s institutional, mutual fund, and private wealth management businesses.

Michelle is a frequent keynote speaker, covering the global economy, markets, financial security, leadership, innovation, and diversity and inclusion. She has been recognized by Barron’s as one of “The Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance,” and American Banker has listed her as one of the “Most Powerful Women in Finance.” She was awarded an ‘Alumni Fellow’ by Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business in 2017.

Michelle is a member of Challenge Seattle, an alliance of CEOs of the region’s largest employers. She is on the board of the Washington Roundtable and on the Dean’s Council at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, where she graduated in 1987 with a BS in accounting. Michelle became a Chartered Financial Analyst in 1990 and has served on the board of the Financial Accounting Foundation, with oversight of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB).