Michelle Brown
Michelle Brown is a seasoned Trade & Compliance Executive and Supply Chain Strategist with nearly two decades of experience at the intersection of compliance, logistics, and operational excellence. Beginning her career at the age of 18 in a warehouse, she quickly discovered her aptitude for export processes, which laid the foundation for a career spanning multiple industries, including paint and plastic additives, commercial explosives, and machine tools. Michelle has consistently demonstrated a talent for building scalable compliance programs that not only meet international regulations but also drive business growth and operational efficiency.
Throughout her career, Michelle has held key leadership roles, progressing from customer service and import-export coordination at BYK USA Inc. to international freight supervision at Dyno Nobel, and eventually leading logistics and installation management at TRUMPF. Her international experience includes a full-year assignment in Germany, where she gained valuable insights into cross-border operations and global trade compliance. Alongside her professional accomplishments, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Management with a concentration in International Business from Albertus Magnus College and completed her International MBA in Leadership from Southern New Hampshire University.
Currently, as a Trade Compliance Consultant with Export Solutions, Inc., Michelle advises clients on complex import and export regulations, product classification, and compliance risk mitigation. She has a proven record of implementing innovative solutions, including navigating high-stakes supply chain challenges such as the 2022 crisis, where her strategic initiative to charter a vessel accelerated the delivery of nearly 49 machines to customers. Known for her strategic thinking, team-building expertise, and results-driven mindset, Michelle continues to empower organizations to achieve operational excellence while ensuring compliance in an ever-evolving global trade environment.
• Southern New Hampshire University - MBA
• Featured in Trumpf Company Magazine for Supply Chain Innovation
• Kappa Gamma Pi
• International Compliance Professionals Association (ICPA)
• American Red Cross
What do you attribute your success to?
I would say always keep looking for mentors. You never know where you're going to find someone who will act as a mentor for you, and I think it's really important, especially for women, to have someone who's willing to advocate for them, but also to be a sounding board when questions come up. I have a mentor who I've been friends with since 2009. She was originally my manager, and we kept in touch after we both left the office we were working for. It's funny because now her and I are basically in the same level of career, and our conversations over the years have definitely changed. Where she was helping me and guiding me, now it's more so we're able to kind of just bounce ideas off of each other. That relationship has been invaluable to my growth.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I can give two pieces of advice that have really stuck with me. The first would be to follow your own path and don't let someone choose it for you. That's been so important throughout my career. And then I had someone tell me when I was leaving a role pretty early on, they told me, never look back. And that's stuck with me to this day. Both of these have guided how I've made decisions and moved forward in my career.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
For a while, I was a hiring manager, and one of the things that I would see with a lot of younger individuals is a big motivation, but they also would come in with a really big expectation. I think it's wonderful to have hopes and aspirations, but when starting out in a role, I would say consider those expectations more so as hopes. Proving yourself with your work, proving your drive with what kind of deliverable you're able to provide, will aid in those expectations being met. But I think it's important to really show what a person is capable of first. Come in and prove what you can do.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
What keeps me engaged in this field is reading the regulations and diving into what export regulations mean. There's a lot of interpretation that needs to happen when you're reading regulations, so it keeps my brain juices flowing and keeps me thinking and keeps me on my toes. It's something that's always on the move and always changing. And with what we've experienced with the current presidential administration, there's been a lot of moving targets that companies need to make sure they're abiding by. The regulations in the industry are constantly changing, which is both a challenge and what makes the work interesting.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide me most, both in my work and personal life, are independence, persistence, and mentorship. I prioritize making thoughtful, autonomous career choices, staying committed through challenges, and fostering meaningful relationships—both by seeking guidance from mentors and by supporting others in their growth.