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Michele Sagan

Michele Sagan

Future of Work & HR Strategist, Founder & CEO, Optimal Insight

I am passionate about shaping the future and creating a better world. It took me a long time to figure out my purpose but now I have, I am intent on building human-centric approaches that support the creation of meaningful work.

I have 25 years of leadership, management and finance experience both in the UK and Malaysia, bringing critical leadership and management insights with me. Having headed various departments in organisations such as Asia School of Business, the Iclif Leadership and Governance Centre, UBS, HSBC, and CIMB, I have grown business revenues and built client opportunities, managing accounts up to RM2 billion, while also developing expertise in a wide variety of areas.

A certified leadership development and human capital strategist and trainer, I have led, consulted, and facilitated on business strategy and human capital projects such as culture, change management, workforce transformation and leadership, working with board of directors and senior management teams. My clients hail from industries such as Oil & Gas, Construction, Finance, Telecommunication and SMEs and include the US Embassy, EPF, PNB, HSBC, Khazanah, Standard Chartered. CIMB, Axiata, AirAsia, Petronas, Prudential, Bank Negara, Indian Railways and more.

I am also a certified psychotherapist, executive coach and EQ practitioner and have coached thousands of management teams from MNCs, GLCs as well as SMEs. A key note speaker, I have spoken at various conferences and on radio and TV e.g. The Economist, The Financial Times, Amcham, BFM etc. Topics include Future of Work, Talent Management, Organisational Transformation, DEI, Women Empowerment etc.

I have a BSc and MSc from the London School of Economics, UK and a PHD (Future of Work) from the University of Nottingham. I was a Malaysian JPA, British High Commission and Citibank scholar, and have won various academic awards.

I am a member of the Institute of Corporate Director Malaysia (ICDM), the Malaysian Association of Professional Speakers, and the Malaysian Association of Psychotherapists. I was recognised by the Malaysian Book of Records in 2014 and won the London Book Fair in 2018. I am a 30% Club Mentee for the Board Readiness Mentoring Program and recognised as one of Malaysia's most successful individuals in 2021. In 2023, I won the Movers and Shakers Award by Asia HRD Congress and in 2024, awarded the HR Hot List by HR Inc and the top 250 thought leaders globally by Insight250 and the top 50 HR leaders by PeopleHum. In 2025, I was awarded the Malaysian Women Leader Award and Top 10 Voices to follow in Malaysia

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