Michelle Whitman Hecht

WORK HISTORY

ABOUT MICHELLE WHITMAN HECHT

With nearly 30 years of experience in financial services, I proudly lead Corporate Affairs at Citizens Financial Group - one of the nation’s largest financial institutions - and serve as President of both the Citizens Charitable Foundation and the Citizens Philanthropic Foundation. I lead enterprise‑wide corporate social responsibility and stakeholder engagement strategies focused on making a meaningful impact in the communities we serve while strengthening our reputation and supporting long‑term business performance.With a strong foundation in banking, my career journey has given me the opportunity to learn and lead disciplines including corporate strategy, sales management, customer experience, communications, marketing, philanthropy, human resources, colleague engagement, change management, and more. This breadth gives me a holistic understanding of how organizations operate, how data-driven decisions influence outcomes, and how to use financial insights to guide smarter, more impactful choices.My leadership philosophy is grounded in a passion for clarity, collaboration, and continuous improvement. I help teams align around shared goals, navigate complexity with confidence, and deliver work that elevates impact, culture and performance.Purpose‑driven and highly collaborative, I build engaged, high‑performing teams inspired to bring their best every day. I’m deeply committed to advancing Citizens’ mission of helping customers, colleagues, and communities reach their potential—and ensuring our actions reflect the values we stand for.