Michele Blum

Michele holds Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Jurisprudence degrees from UNSW.

Currently, Michele is the Director of Barton Phillip, a leading executive search firm specialising in global search and recruitment with a focus on placing partners in law firms. Her in-depth exposure in the legal area translates into an exceptional appreciation of legal client needs regarding talent search with an outstanding ability to identify leading practitioners in the sector. Whilst working for one of the top global executive search firms, Heidrick & Struggles, she also placed candidates at the C-level within top corporations as well as non-executive directors on the Boards of ASX- listed companies.

Before her consulting career, Michele practised as a lawyer for 15 years with a couple of law firms, including Gilbert + Tobin. She also spent seven years at the NSW Legal Aid Commission working in both the civil and criminal legal divisions. 

Post her career as a lawyer she held several senior management and marketing roles within the public and private sectors. She was involved in the establishment of the Corporate Prosecutions Branch of the Commonwealth DPP and worked for some years as the Manager of the control of Radio and Televisions licences for the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal.

My memories of our classes in the huts and on the lawns of the lower campus will remain with me forever. The tuition was unique and quite advanced for those times – not experienced by other faculties at UNSW. It felt like we were a privileged group. The friends and colleagues I made during this period have been long-lasting and it has been wonderful to see so many of us achieve success.