Michele J. Hooper
President and CEO
(Longboat Key, FL/ Chicago, IL): Michele J. Hooper is President and CEO of The Directors’ Council.
With over 30 years of corporate board experience, Michele is a board leader, an audit committee financial expert, chairing audit committees of several global companies, a highly regarded governance expert, and a business leader. She currently serves on the corporate boards of directors of UnitedHealth Group and United Airlines. She also serves on the faculty of the National Association of Corporate Directors and serves as Chair of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Board.
Detailed Bio
Michele J. Hooper is President and CEO of The Directors’ Council, which consults with major companies to improve the effectiveness of their corporate governance. With over 30 years of corporate board experience, Michele is a board leader, an audit committee financial expert chairing audit committees of several global companies, a highly regarded governance expert, and a business leader. She serves on the corporate boards of directors of UnitedHealth Group and United Airlines. Michele previously served on the boards of PPG Industries, Target Corporation, Seagrams Corporation, Warner Music Group, and AstraZeneca. In 2017, Michele was selected as NACD’s Director of the Year. Michele was also recognized as Forbes Magazine 2022 50 Over 50: Women Stepping into Their Power.
Michele retired from the boards of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and as President of NACD Chicago. She was a commissioner on ten NACD Blue Ribbon Commissions on governance, including Strategy Oversight, Board-Shareholder Communications, Audit Committees, Risk Oversight, and the Diverse Board. Michele is a leading NACD faculty member and in-boardroom governance consultant. Michele also retired as a board member of the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ), where she was Chair of the CAQ Working Group focused on Deterring and Detecting Financial Reporting Fraud.
Previously, Ms. Hooper served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Voyager Expanded Learning and Stadtlander Drug Company, Inc. Prior to joining Stadtlander, Ms. Hooper was Corporate Vice President, Caremark International, and President of the International Business Group, responsible for the expansion of Caremark into Europe, Canada, and Japan. Ms. Hooper began her career at Baxter International. As President of Baxter Canada, Ms. Hooper led Canada’s largest health care and laboratory supplies company.
Ms. Hooper is Chair of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Board and a Board member of Black Directors Health Equity Agenda. She is a board member of the Ringling College of Art and Design, and the West Coast Black Theatre Troupe (FL). Ms. Hooper is a member of The Economic Club of Chicago, The Commercial Club of Chicago, the World Presidents’ Organization (WPO), The Chicago Network, and the International Women’s Forum (IWF).