Michael Melcher
Education
Harvard College
Stanford Law School
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Certifications
Hudson Institute | Santa Barbara
Selected Clients
Google, Turner, Goldman Sachs, TowerBrook Capital Partners, Davis Polk & Wardwell, BNP Paribas, Rockefeller Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Population Services International, Govern for America
Inspiration
Teachers, the Montague Bookmill, composting
Human capital represents our abilities to think and to do. Michael Urtuzuástegui Melcher works with clients to bring out the full potential of leaders and teams, sharpen their abilities to make better decisions, and achieve strategic objectives.
Michael has a special gift for communications, including writing, speaking, teaching and working in diverse cultural environments (the middle name is Basque, via Mexico). His clients have included Google, AOL, Turner, BNP Paribas, Doctors Without Borders, Population Services International and the Rockefeller Foundation.
He speaks Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, and has delivered coaching and leadership development programs in Haiti, El Salvador, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Tanzania, France and Italy. He has published numerous articles as well as two books, including The Creative Lawyer: A Practical Guide to Authentic Professional Satisfaction.
He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and earned a JD/MBA from Stanford. He previously served as a Foreign Service Officer in India and Taiwan, worked as a securities lawyer with Davis Polk & Wardwell, and founded an Internet start-up.
He lives in Manhattan and Western Massachusetts with his partner and twin sons, Nicolas and Mateo.
Leadership Insights | Recent Posts by Michael

Effective Listening for Leaders
Most leaders are good talkers but not such great listeners. Real leadership depends on two key skills: listening effectively and asking powerful questions.

The Secret Lives of CEOs
If you are a CEO, you’re likely to wrestle with complex career questions for which your previous experience doesn’t provide clear answers.

Northland Controls: How One CEO’s Values Led to Explosive Growth
What happens when a company with a poor reputation and low morale aligns around five core values? It grows from $1.5 million to $60 million in 10 years.