Michelle Friedman, MA, PCC

FOUNDER + HEAD COACH

Michelle Friedman is a certified executive coach, organizational consultant, facilitator, and speaker specializing in leadership development within investment firms and women’s careers in finance. In 2009, she founded AWC, an NYC-based executive coaching and consulting firm that expands leadership capacity in investment firms and builds high-performing teams through individual coaching and group training programs.

Michelle has deep expertise in financial services, particularly private markets and investment banking, and works with clients across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Michelle’s work has been covered in media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review,Working Mother Magazine, Fortune, CNBC, and CNN/Money.

Corporate Background

Michelle previously spent 12 years in corporate banking and the financial software industry, holding key relationship management and marketing roles. Her corporate experience allows her to relate to her clients' challenges in fast-paced, demanding work environments.

Credentials & Education

Michelle earned an M.A. in Organizational Psychology at Columbia University, with a concentration in Change Leadership. There, she studied methodology designed to deepen individuals’ and organizations’ capacity for initiating, managing, and sustaining workplace change efforts in increasingly complex and global environments. Her Master's thesis was on executive leadership teams.

Previously, Michelle graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a B.S. in Marketing and a concentration in Psychology. Michelle is certified by the Coaches Training Institute, the world's largest in-person coach training institute. She is a member of the International Coach Federation and holds their Professional Certified Coach (PCC) designation. She is also a certified practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Hogan Assessments, Leadership Circle 360°, and EQ-i 2.0 and EQ-i 360.

Community Involvement

In addition to her professional work, Michelle is an active community volunteer. Most recently, she has dedicated her time to Impact 100 Westchester, the Washington University Alumni & Parents Admission Program, and the Alumni Association for her Organizational Psychology Masters Program at Columbia University/Teachers College in NYC.

On a Personal Note

Michelle lives in Westchester County, NY. She and her husband, Darren, are the proud parents of three fantastic sons in their 20s. Michelle loves being outside in all weather and particularly enjoys biking, hiking, snowshoeing, and veggie gardening.