Michelle grew up in Boston. Her mother, a social worker, and her father, a lawyer, were great role models. “They always gave back to communities of color and were community leaders who provided a voice for those whose voices were not represented,” Michelle remembers.
She continues that community commitment, sitting on the boards of Brightpoint Care, a nonprofit organization that provides health care and other services to underserved communities in the New York City metropolitan area, and 100 Women in Finance, whose mission is to promote diversity and empower women in the finance industry. Another organization she’s long volunteered for, like her mother did, is The Links Incorporated, which was established in 1946 and provides community service through educational and cultural programming in underserved communities in the U.S., the Bahamas and the United Kingdom.
Michelle also advises the 1921 Institute, a young nonprofit that provides capital to African-American entrepreneurs. Their approach is similar to that of Morgan Stanley’s Multicultural Innovation Lab, an accelerator providing capital and advice to multicultural and women-led startups.
Her first job after earning her economics degree from the University of Pennsylvania was in the treasury department of an insurance company in Boston. She earned her MBA from Harvard Business School then landed on Wall Street as a municipal finance banker. Michelle was a banker for 10 years before transitioning into investment management, leading business development and managing relationships with institutional investors. She made the move to Wealth Management about 10 years ago, serving in a variety of roles, including private markets investment due diligence and alternative investments product development.
Michelle now lives in Westchester County, N.Y., with her husband, Greg Weston, a lawyer. Their two adult children, Cole and Lauren, have careers in the investment industry. “I’m proud to say they both started their careers here at Morgan Stanley, and at one point all three of us worked here!”
In addition to her children, Michelle says her current role at Morgan Stanley is one of her proudest accomplishments. “Everything I’ve done throughout my career has prepared me for this position—and the opportunity to bring diverse asset managers to the forefront of the investment industry.”
Source: morganstanley.com
