A frequent lecturer and author, Michele M. Downey brings business planning and project management expertise to companies large and small.  Michele specializes in market strategy and program development for the wholesale and retail food industries, blending the nutrition knowledge of a Registered Dietitian with almost two decades of corporate experience. 

As Vice President of Product Management for a Fortune 500 subsidiary, Michele was formerly responsible for establishing a national product development function, developing repeatable processes to identify business opportunities, and the products and supporting operations to fulfill market needs.   She performed a similar role for a $22 billion financial services firm, launching their first formal products nationwide.

Michele’s skills lie in identifying market opportunities and developing products, services, and programs to generate revenue.  Supporting projects are identified, scoped, resourced, planned, executed, documented, and evaluated—often by cross-functional teams.    Project components might include market research, project planning, coordinating internal resources for project execution, and program launches (including training and collateral materials).

Michele's background further includes international experience, having both graduate education and work experience in western Europe.  In addition to her Dietetics degree, Michele holds a B.S.B.A. in Finance and Economics and a Masters in Business Administration. 

Michele is a qualified ServSafe^® instructor http://www.restaurant.org/careers/servsafe.cfm.  She is also a Master Food Volunteer, a program coordinated by Kansas State University Research and Extension, where volunteers provide community outreach in the areas of food safety and nutrition http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/johnson/FACS/welcome.htm.