Megan Michiels
Director, State & Local Government AffairsCitigroup
Meg Michiels is Director for the State and Local Government Affairs (SLGA) team and is based in Citi’s Washington DC office. Meg serves as the team’s liaison to Citigroup businesses and functions on state and local legislative and policy matters. Meg also directly covers Citi’s government affairs advocacy efforts for the Mid-Atlantic Region.
Meg joined Citi in July 2015 from the Office of the General Counsel at American Bankers Association where she was Vice President and Senior Counsel. In this role, Meg monitored and provided analysis to bank members and state bankers associations on key state legislation of importance to the banking industry. Prior to joining the American Bankers Association, Meg worked in transactional finance and banking law for eight years in the general counsel’s office for a specialty finance company in Washington, DC. Meg was responsible for managing corporate legal interests with a concentration on project finance and risk management in the energy sector and government receivables space related to programs administered by the US Department of Energy and US Department of Agriculture. She has published numerous articles and has frequently spoken on industry panels on significant and emerging issues for the financial services industry.
Meg graduated cum laude from Georgetown University and received her Juris Doctor from American University’s Washington College of Law. Meg is admitted to the bars in Maryland and the District of Columbia. She currently holds leadership positions on behalf of Citi serving as State Government Affairs Committee Chair and Board Member with the American Financial Services Association and Advisory Board Member with the D.C. Bankers Association.
My Areas of Expertise: i.e. strategy, marketing, team building, executive management?
State policy strategy and advocacy.
Areas of expertise upon which I would like to continue learning.
New financial products and services
What three keywords best describe you?
Positive, Dedicated, Leader
Personal Motto:
Be the rainbow in someone else’s cloud. -Maya Angelou Be someone that lifts people around you up, not puts them down.
What are you passionate about?
Professionally – definitely = work!
Personally = my family (100%), followed by outdoor activities, baseball, travel, all things Hoyas, and live music & comedy, to name a few.
What is something interesting about you that members might not know?
Obsessed with holiday music – it’s on from the week of Thanksgiving until New Year’s. And known to play over the summer break when we all need a little Christmas in July!
Who has been a role model for you?
A former boss and mentor – now deceased – was my most trusted role model. Brilliant, kind, and authentic.
What are you most proud of?
Personally, undoubtedly, I am most proud of my children. Professionally, I am proud to be a trusted industry leader asked to serve as Chair of key committees of respected industry organizations like AFSA.
MENTORING:
a. What would you say are the key success factors for a mentoring relationship?
A plan from the beginning.
What are the goals out of the relationship and developing a framework to help reach the goals. Often times mentoring can be misinterpreted to mean having a friend or work therapist – which are fine, but not mentorship.
b. What advice would you give yourself as a young executive?
Listen more to learn more. While you need to do the job well, you can learn more if you are curious, ask questions and receive guidance to help you grow as you execute on your tasks and remit.
c. What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started your career?
Know when to say yes, but also know when you need to say no.
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