Her Story
About Michelle
Michelle Kuske serves as Director of Finance for Cozzini Bros. in Chicago, Illinois. With 25 years in the finance industry, she previously spent nearly eight years at Amazon in various finance roles and five years at Daimler Trucks North America, where she returned as a controller after graduate school following an initial stint as their auditor. Kuske earned her undergraduate degree in accounting from Linfield University in Oregon and her CPA license while working at KPMG. She later obtained an MBA with a focus in finance from the University of Notre Dame. She attributes her success to building relationships, hard work instilled by her military family upbringing, and a curiosity for learning how things work. Kuske values honesty, treating others with respect, having fun at work, and fostering strong professional relationships. She is focused on mentoring others and navigating the integration of AI in finance while developing leadership skills among younger professionals.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Michelle
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think building relationships is the foundation. I also think hard work - I grew up in a military family so my dad worked very hard and taught that hard work ethic. Being curious of how things are working and learning is also really important.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Treating everyone like a person. At Amazon there are no titles - have the conversations, don't be afraid to speak up. Once the decision is made, fully supporting it. Saying the things that people may not want to hear but with the best of intentions.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
It's a really interesting time because it's going through this big revolution of how do you incorporate AI. Leadership with younger folks who went through COVID and missed some learnings. How to integrate that and bring AI into it. How are we going to handle people management in the future from a finance perspective. AI can do a lot of work but doesn't teach people how to manage or think.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Trying to find some balance or harmony. Honesty and treating others like you want to be treated. Have fun - we spend a lot of time at work so it should be exciting. Build the relationships because relationships are what's going to help you throughout your career.
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