Gisele Marcus

A native New Yorker who was raised in Harlem, the odds of becoming a great success were against her. As a first-generation college graduate possessing a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Science in Business from Syracuse University, Gisele Marcus has soared above perceived limits.   As a five-time General Manager, in Fortune 250 organizations, she made organizations hum!  Her career has been entrenched in turning around departments, divisions and entire organizations where improving financial performance, enhancing operational efficiency, and reversing failed relationships were the goalposts in an array of industries including life sciences, commercial real estate, financial services, technology and non-profit.   In addition, she is an international best-selling author and a TEDxHarvard speaker. 

Marcus currently serves as the Professor of Practice – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis (ranked #14 by US News & World Report in 2021) where she prepares MBA students with the tools and techniques for DEI in the workplace by teaching this required course.   In addition, she is a Corporate Director for First Mid Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FMBH), the parent company of First Mid Bank & Trust, N.A.   Recently she was the General Manager of the $120M Asset Management Services business at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Prior, she assumed her first non-profit role as Chief Operating Officer of the St. Louis Regional Chamber, one of the top 10 revenue generating Chambers in the country. She spent 13 years in the commercial real estate/facility management outsourcing business between Johnson Controls (a Fortune 250 company) and Cushman & Wakefield. Marcus held several roles including operationally leading a $800M global business segment, spearheading a $1B strategic growth initiative to expand market presence into urban communities, and leading an expatriate assignment in South Africa.

Marcus recently completed a TEDx titled "Networking Made Easy". She takes the fear out of networking and offers practical, easy to implement ideas to network your way to your 'next'.  She is an international speaker whose engagements have focused in the areas of networking, leadership, women’s empowerment, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Marcus has been named a two-time international best-selling author for penning chapters titled “Networking:  How to Set Yourself Apart” in Clarity Out of Chaos and “From Harlem to Harvard” in Overcoming:  Living Our Best Life In Spite Of…

She has been featured in the Huffington Post, Black Enterprise, and the Milwaukee and St. Louis Business Journals.   Most recently she has been a repeat guest on Good Morning St. Louis on the FOX affiliate.

Marcus resides in St. Louis, Missouri and has a passion for addressing the needs of parentless children.   Her favorite country to explore is Africa, where she has visited 14 countries.