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Michelle Merritt
Author, executive career expert, national speaker, and Chief Strategy Officer at D&S Executive Career Management
Author Bio
Michelle Merritt is a recognized executive career expert, national speaker, and Chief Strategy Officer at D&S Executive Career Management. She has guided hundreds of C-suite leaders through career pivots and strategic visibility-building, combining her background in corporate HR, leadership development, and executive search with extensive board experience, serving on 30+ boards overseeing $1B+ in assets.
As a thought leader and keynote speaker, Michelle empowers senior executives to lead their careers as intentionally as they lead their organizations. She addresses audiences on executive leadership, career strategy, compensation negotiation, and breaking into the boardroom.
Currently serving as Vice President of the Westfield Police Department Merit Commission, an avid reader and Guinness World Record holder, Michelle is a recipient of the Civilian Award for Excellence from the 122nd Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard. She enjoys entertaining and hosting memorable gatherings in her Indianapolis home.
Michelle's Book
Empathy Impact
In a time when the world feels divided, Empathy Impact: The Wild Effects of Kindness in Action reveals what happens when compassion becomes a catalyst for change.
Through 15 powerful, true stories, extraordinary women share how empathy shaped their lives, their work, and their communities. These women lead nonprofits, champion justice, build bridges across difference, and find healing through forgiveness and love. Their stories show that empathy is not just a feeling, but a force that drives transformation—personally and globally.
