Bridging the Global Leadership Gap: Where Strategy Meets Cultural Intelligence
Based in Taipei and working globally, I help organizations navigate the "unspoken" complexities of global collaboration. At Elephant Communications, we support East-West leaders and teams with a robust Operating System for performance, translating cultural awareness into measurable results.
ABOUT MICHELLE
I grew up at the intersection of cultures in New York City, London and Cape Town and have spent the last 19 years decoding the complexities of global collaboration from my base in Asia. My journey has taken me through the cultural landscapes of Japan, India, and Taiwan, giving me a deep, lived understanding of the nuances required to lead across diverse geographies.
As the founder of Elephant Communications 雙象溝通, I serve as a strategic partner for global organizations navigating the human side of international business and education. My approach focuses on building a robust Operating System for Leadership: a structural framework that empowers teams to communicate with high levels of emotional and cultural intelligence.
I bring over 15 years of experience as a facilitator, corporate trainer, and executive coach to help leaders translate abstract awareness into tangible, high-performance behaviors. Working bilingually in English and Mandarin Chinese, I partner with organizations across APAC, Europe, and the U.S. to ensure that cultural diversity is leveraged as a core competitive strength.
My work sits at the intersection of research and practice, helping dynamic teams not only meet but surpass their organizational objectives in today’s complex global environment.
Outside of my professional life, I enjoy walking in nature, swimming, reading, and drinking tea. I continue to learn from people across cultures and industries and feel fortunate to call Taipei home.
I am a regular guest speaker at public events, for example this 'Building DEI: Cross-Cultural Organizational Inclusion' ATD event cohosted by Hahow for Business and CLN in Taipei.
I support teams in developing their global communication skills.
I believe that part of professional success lies in your passion for life and spending time in nature. I love mountain hiking and open-water swimming, both of which give me new perspectives on my world.
I am a regular guest speaker at public events, for example this 'Building DEI: Cross-Cultural Organizational Inclusion' ATD event cohosted by Hahow for Business and CLN in Taipei.
Client Testimonials
Team Performance & Strategy
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LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®: Certified Advanced Facilitator (Build Levels 1-3). Facilitating strategic alignment and 3D organizational modeling.
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Global TeamLEAD & PRISM: Master Certified in the "Operating System" for global leadership and team work styles.
Emotional & Cultural Intelligence
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Cultural Intelligence (CQ): CQ Fellow (2026) – specializing in high-context communication and East-West bridge building.
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Emotional Intelligence (EQ-i 2.0 / 360): Certified Practitioner in the gold standard for measuring emotional resilience and interpersonal leadership.
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Executive Coaching: Certified Coach and Group Coach (PCC Level).
Psychological Safety & Inclusion
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The Fearless Organization Scan: Accredited Practitioner of the research-based tool developed by Dr. Amy Edmondson (Harvard) to measure and build team-level safety.
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Advancing Inclusion in Asia: Masterclass Certificate Program by The Conference Board Asia Human Capital Center. Focused on leading diverse talent in the APAC region.
Listen to me as a podcast guest on the China Flexpat
On this episode with Francis Kremer, I discuss bridging the gap, how to successfully navigate intercultural communication and East-West collaboration.
What my clients are saying
- Celine Lin, private client, Singapore
Michelle is a skillful and perceptive coach, with strong knowledge of Emotional Intelligence (EI). My experience with Michelle has been fruitful, rewarding, and insightful. She is people-centered, empathetic, and patient. Her calm and approachable demeanor made it easy for me to open up to her during our sessions. Michelle’s expertise in reflecting and accurately highlighting areas of EI that I could identify with, and subsequently work on is a quality I greatly appreciate.
She helped me gain clarity into areas I felt stuck in, and proffered me insights on how to work through them. The methodological way she conducted our sessions, helped to keep our conversations focused which I found to be effective and helpful. Her Chinese-English bilingualism also added a touch of liveliness to our sessions and helped deepen our connection. I would highly recommend Michelle as a coach to anyone who is looking to work on their EI.
We worked with Michelle for an intercultural program for our Taipei office. The blended approach (assessment, 1.1 analysis, and F2F workshop) helped to develop self-awareness and deeper understanding about teamwork and cultural working styles. Our colleagues learnt a lot, and we found Michelle knowledgeable and engaging! Thank you for the insights, and hope to partner again soon.
- Xingyan Chen, Human Resources Director at Group Savencia
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Michelle's friendly and professional demeanor shines through. Her fluency in both Chinese and English acts as a powerful tool, allowing for seamless communication and creating a comfortable space where expressing thoughts in either language feels effortless.
Michelle's extensive understanding of culture adds a wonderful dimension to the learning journey. This cultural insight goes beyond the basics, providing a more comprehensive experience. Her ability to effortlessly switch between cultural perspectives enhances the learning process, encouraging me to explore various angles of understanding.
Michelle's approach creates an ideal environment that goes beyond words, fostering a deeper appreciation for both language and culture.
- Howard, GLDP manager, Nike
Michelle has the gift of truly listening and offering insightful advice.
Her work goes deep, allowing for self-reflection and helping you see situations from a different perspective.
- Joel, Director, Gourmet Selection
International Keynote Speaker
Inclusion | Cultural Intelligence | Growth Mindset
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‘Covid, 5 Years On and the 4 pillars of wellbeing - Social, Mental/Emotional, Physical and Financial’ – speaker on a panel discussion hosted by Oracle JAPAC 2025
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'Building DEI: Cross-Cultural Organizational Inclusion' – speaker at ATD event cohosted by Hahow for Business and CLN in 2024
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Project Management: Communicating Effectively Across Multicultural Teams – keynote speaker for CLN HR webinar 2023
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Doing Business in Greater China from a Post-Covid perspective – speaker for the International Business major class at Utah Valley University in 2023
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Developing Cross-Cultural Competence – guest speaker at the Community Services Center Taipei in 2021
I work closely with you to design not only personalized workshops, but also keynote speeches to motivate and inspire your leaders and teams in successfully communicating across national, generational, and organizational cultures. I am committed to supporting dynamic teams who not only meet, but surpass, organizational objectives in today's complex global environment.
Previous engagements include:
SPEAKER AT SIETAR SOUTHEAST ASIA CONFERENCE 2025
This was a premier gathering where intercultural professionals across Asia explored emerging insights, best practices, and the future of global leadership.
I explored how psychologicalsafety is understood and practiced differently across cultures, particularly in Asia:
What “speaking up” means in contexts where harmony, hierarchy, and group relationships are deeply valued & discussed practical strategies for building safety in East–West and East–East teams.
"Thank you for the engaging session I truly enjoyed exploring how psychological safety takes on different meanings across cultures."
-participant feedback
