Category: Also Author

Michelle brings her extensive experience in talent strategy, leadership development and executive coaching across global organisations to the Legitimate Leadership team.

Originating from Australia, Michelle has spent a significant part of her adult life living abroad and currently resides in the UK. Growing up in Melbourne, Michelle was fascinated by the diverse cultures she encountered. At the age of 16, Michelle had the opportunity to visit Japan, which marked the beginning of her love for travel. Michelle first moved overseas at 21, living and working in the UK, primarily in HR. After a brief stint in Italy, Michelle returned to Australia to work for Coles and the National Australia Bank, holding various HR roles. During this time, Michelle also completed her Master’s in Commerce (Human Resource Management) at Swinburne University of Technology.

In 2013, Michelle returned to the UK, where she is currently based. Initially working for the Duke of Westminster in his private property company, looking after HR Systems and Processes globally. In 2015, Michelle moved to Tesco, working as an Organisational Design Manager, having previously held a similar role in Australia. Michelle had always had a passion for talent and leadership and in late 2016, Michelle had the opportunity to move into Tesco International as a Talent Manager, identifying and developing talent in Europe and Asia.

A year later, Michelle also began leading Diversity & Inclusion for all of Tesco, creating a three-year strategy that spanned the UK, Central Europe, and Asia. She ensured Tesco maintained its market-leading stance on inclusion through externally recognised bodies such as Stonewall and Disability Confidence.

Michelle then transitioned into manufacturing, working for Johnson Matthey, where she was responsible for talent and performance across Europe and Africa. She later moved into a global role covering emerging sectors, including Battery Materials, Fuel Cells, and Green Hydrogen. This is where Michelle was first exposed to Legitimate Leadership. During her time at Johnson Matthey, Michelle completed her Master’s in Executive Coaching at the British School of Coaching and became registered with the EMCC and Association for Coaching.

Returning to Retail, Michelle worked for Marks & Spencer within the Talent Centre of Expertise, leading on both talent development and succession planning. Michelle ran several large projects and supported the senior executive team, providing the Executive Committee, Board and Remuneration Committee with insights into talent across M&S.

In 2023 Michelle spent almost 2 years working for RELX as the Head of Talent and Capability for Elsevier. This was a global role supporting 9,000 employees across 30 countries before joining Legitimate Leadership as an ambassador in 2025.

Based out of St Albans, Michelle is a dual UK and Australian citizen. Outside of work, Michelle enjoys travelling, keeping active and spending time with friends.

Tony Ogden brings a wealth of experience in operations leadership, organisational development, and cultural transformation across high-risk industrial sectors. With an honours degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Sheffield, his career began with Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) through their prestigious graduate engineering programme. From early line management roles in biotechnology and hazardous chemical plants, including those involving ammonia, cyanides, and petrochemical refining, Tony quickly established himself as a trusted leader. He was selected to lead an independent investigation into a major accident at a third-party plant in Libya, a formative experience in accountability and leadership under pressure.

Following his transition into operations on Paraxylene V at ICI’s Wilton Site, Europe’s most significant of its kind, Tony continued to evolve as a leader. His involvement in the divestiture of the Petrochemicals business to Huntsman marked a pivotal shift—serving as an organisational psychologist driving cultural change. During this time, he completed a master’s degree in Manufacturing Leadership at the University of Cambridge, where he encountered the Legitimate Leadership model that has shaped his leadership approach ever since.

Tony’s passion for operational excellence led him to senior roles in the pharmaceutical sector, including Rhodia and Shasun. As Site Director at BOC Special Products in Immingham, he applied Legitimate Leadership principles to deliver dramatic performance improvements. These included a nationally recognised reduction in workplace injuries, industry-leading productivity and service, profitability growth, and significant capital investment.

At Croda International, Tony further expanded his impact—first as Group Safety, Health and Environment Manager, then overseeing Group Quality and contributing to strategic acquisitions, including Avanti Polar Lipids in Alabama. His dual experience in pharmaceuticals and post-acquisition integration led to his appointment as Managing Director of Operations for Croda’s Pharma business, followed by a turnaround role on a Consumer Care site.

In March 2025, Tony founded his consultancy and became an Associate of Legitimate Leadership, bringing decades of practical insight and transformative success to organisations seeking purpose-led growth and performance.

Rooted in Manchester and now based in North Lincolnshire, Tony enjoys spending time outdoors with his family and two dogs, playing the guitar, and is currently learning Danish.

Will has been involved in leading cross-functional teams in technology, innovation, and fast-paced engineering environments for over thirty years. After spending his formative years in Radio Communications in the Army, Will led engineering teams in the automotive supply chain, developing innovative electronic control systems for automotive manufacturers. Will joined DENSO, the world’s largest automotive parts manufacturer, developing voice-activated navigation systems for Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo. This involved working with Japanese and Swedish counterparts, working in Gothenburg, and managing cross functional, cross-cultural teams.

A short spell at Smiths Aerospace and GE Aviation in Cheltenham saw Will develop battery technologies for the F35 Joint Strike Fighter airframe along with primary power systems for all three airframes. Will’s time at GE Aviation also included working abroad in Hong Kong setting up a new supply chain for a Boeing. This involved many leadership challenges, including cultural ones, which proved a fantastic opportunity to gain experience and mentor others. While working in Hong Kong Will successfully completed his MBA with the University of Warwick, which was immensely fulfilling and rewarding.

After leaving GE Aviation, Will worked for a Private Venture business designing and manufacturing automotive traction batteries for high-performance sports cars, including McLaren and Ferrari. After staying with the company for ten years, which saw the business change hands to Johnson Matthey Battery Systems and then to Cummins Electrified Power, Will eventually consolidated and led the new battery facility in Milton Keynes before leaving to join the National Composite Centre. While at the National Composites Centre, Will lead a team responsible for supporting small and medium-sized businesses and developing market entry strategies for existing and new functions.

Deeply passionate about developing the leaders of tomorrow and leading with legitimacy, Will would love to hear from you and understand your leadership challenges.

Will lives in Stratford Upon Avon with his wife Lorraine and enjoys long-distance running, reading, and shortwave radio.

Joe has over 15 years of experience in data analytics and geospatial solutions, including strategic and operational management through the COVID years. He studied management development at GIBS with two kids and a newborn in the house. He earned accolades for best syndicate and best project while achieving individual commendations for strategy, finance and innovation. Always a voracious learner, Joe added this latest qualification to his first-class Bachelor of Arts Honours in Geography and an array of short courses, including a negotiation masterclass with David Venter, Behavioural Design, and platform business design.

In Joe’s earlier career, he introduced enterprise mapping solutions in the banking sector. He managed multiple data projects for navigation systems at Nokia’s HERE division, earning him the Nokia Global Impact Award and a trip to Berlin. Later, back in South Africa, Joe became the Head of Location & Commerce Solutions at Lightstone, leading a team of specialists serving clients across retail, media, energy, and commercial property sectors. While there, he coordinated various commercial and technical teams around the design and development of SaaS applications, developing his expertise in product roadmaps and Agile methodologies. Here, he first encountered Legitimate Leadership and readily applied the principles in caring for and growing his team and peers.

Another significant career highlight is the founding of Broad and Cambridge, a consulting company which helps Southern African companies with business development strategies, location analytics, and customer value propositions.

Known for fostering strong client relationships and delivering innovative solutions, Joe is a thought leader and passionate mentor in his work and church contexts. He is committed to growing individuals and teams while driving organisational success. Indeed, his passion for meaningful results and people empowerment precipitated his appointment as an Ambassador for Legitimate Leadership offerings in the market.

In his downtime, Joe enjoys penmaking and woodwork, organising his Johannesburg workshop, reading thought-provoking books, and making his kids laugh. He also makes a mean pizza.

Russell graduated from Pretoria Boys High School and studied Accounting at the University of the Witwatersrand. After completing his articles with KPMG, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)). Following his qualification, he travelled extensively across the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Russell has held various leadership roles, including serving as Chief Financial Officer for a law firm with an annual fee income of R240 million and over 60 partners. He also worked as a Group Accountant for a pan-African investment bank.

In 2010, Russ founded his executive coaching practice, where he has had the privilege of coaching a diverse range of C-Suite executives. He is the Executive Head of Accounting at a local private high school. He has facilitated courses on Finance for Non-Financial Managers and has appeared on OFM radio.

In 2025, Russ became a Legitimate Leadership Ambassador. He is happily married to his beautiful wife Catherine and has two sons. He has completed two Comrades marathons to stay fit and enjoys walking the beautiful trails in and around Johannesburg.