The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced April 8, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person June 4.
Next is Michelle Bryan, general counsel and chief administrative officer at Intelsat, and a finalist in the General Counsel/Compliance Executive of the Year category. Here, she talks professional achievements, career advice and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2024/2025?
Without question, my most significant achievement of the past year has been playing an instrumental role in Intelsat’s $3.1 billion combination with SES. Over six weeks in 2024, I helped negotiate and secure an agreement that will bring together two leading companies in the space industry. Our combination with SES will create a highly competitive global satellite communications provider with unique capabilities, stronger partnerships, and greater financial flexibility.
What is your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
Corporate attorneys early in their careers don’t have the benefit of experience to help them to give advice on a broad spectrum of issues. That’s what general counsels do. To be great at the job, I advise young attorneys to do their homework, ask the right questions, and be prepared for understanding issues in a myriad of different areas. This means partnering with other experts early on in your career to broaden your scope of knowledge.
In-house attorneys should also invest the time to understand how their company operates, identify the key decision-makers, and determine how they can help those executives succeed and achieve their business objectives. Finally, I would strongly encourage corporate attorneys to build positive relationships with as many people as possible at different levels of their organization. Along with being astute, be the person in the building with whom everyone wants to work and go to for legal advice.
Fun Fact: What is something about you that most people do not know?
I have a passion for writing and currently have a few book projects simmering, including a children’s book and another that takes a thoughtful look at how certain challenges persist in modern workplaces. I am a pickleball aficionado and organized neighborhood pickleball games in my driveway during the pandemic. Before venturing into the serious world of corporate law, I was a cocktail waitress, a springboard diver, and a diving coach.