Michelle
Rakshys
Vice President, Learning & Development
Michelle Rakshys is Cadence’s Vice President of Learning and Development. She has over 20 years of corporate leadership in Business Operations, Diversity and Inclusion, Product and Engineering Management, and Marketing. Her varied experience working with top company executives and managing teams shapes the way she guides clients and delivers advice during training sessions.
Background & Experience
Michelle most recently served as Chief of Staff and Senior Manager of Business Operations at Amazon, where she also led Product, Design, and Engineering teams for nine years. Through these roles, and previous positions with Oracle’s Marketing Cloud, Michelle worked with CEOs and Senior VPs to create business strategies that affected millions of employees and customers.
Michelle proudly serves as board Treasurer for the Mensa Foundation, which is a non-profit that awards over $250,000 annually to students, researchers, and doctoral candidates. She is also a dedicated volunteer at AnitaB.org, a non-profit dedicated to advancing women in technology, where she hosts the “Ask Us, We’ve Been There” video and event series, and speaks at the Grace Hopper Celebration. As a lifelong learner, Michelle loves sharing her experience through public speaking engagements and, previously, as an adjunct professor.
Michelle holds a master’s degree in Music Business from New York University (NYU), and a bachelor’s degree in Communication from King’s College. She holds certifications in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Project Management, and Women’s Leadership.
Coaching Approach
Michelle takes a direct and actionable approach to coaching. By asking the right questions, Michelle works with clients to help them understand the underlying problem and craft a plan to address complex business and talent management issues. Her goal-focused approach gives clients a way to make meaningful progress in their careers.