About Me – Michaella Gallina

I'm Michaella Gallina

a CFO, keynote speaker, executive coach, and strategic advisor with more than 16 years of experience spanning Wall Street, institutional investing, and corporate executive leadership.

I’ve evaluated businesses as an investor, communicated their value to Wall Street, and been responsible for creating that value as an executive. I’ve worked alongside some of the world’s most influential business leaders, participated in billion-dollar exits, navigated complex corporate transformations, and led transformations for some of the world’s most recognized brands.

But my story didn’t start in a boardroom.

It started in a small town in rural Colorado, where the opportunities I dreamed about often seemed a world away.

And the path between those two worlds taught me just as much about leadership, resilience, and success as anything I’ve learned in business.

THE STORY BEHIND THE RÉSUMÉ

I grew up in a rural Colorado community of approximately 4,000 people that faced significant economic and socioeconomic challenges. My parents were teachers, and from an early age, I understood the value of hard work, education, and creating opportunities to learn.

I became financially independent at 18, which came with both freedom and responsibility.

As a Coca-Cola Scholar and Boettcher Scholar, I attended the University of Denver. In four years, I graduated summa cum laude with both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in finance.

From there, I headed to Wall Street.

What followed was a career that took me from investment banking and institutional investing to public company leadership and the CFO seat.

Throughout my life, I’ve also pursued my passion as a competitive equestrian show jumper. Becoming a national champion taught me lessons that have stayed with me throughout my career: the art of discipline and sacrifice; ensuring you love the process, not the outcomes; how to compete against yourself versus others; and getting comfortable being uncomfortable. Those are often the price of achieving something extraordinary.

Along the way, I discovered something that continues to shape how I approach business, leadership, and life:

Everything worthwhile will be hard. And choosing to avoid hard just results in more hard.

It’s the philosophy behind my keynote, Choose Your Hard, and a belief I carry into every aspect of my work.

FROM WALL STREET TO THE C-SUITE

A perspective built from both sides of the table.

I began my career in investment banking, learning how businesses are valued, how capital is allocated, and what separates compelling strategies from sustainable results.

I then moved to the buy side as an institutional investor, evaluating companies, management teams, competitive advantages, and equity investment opportunities. That experience gave me a firsthand understanding of what investors look for and how they distinguish between a compelling story and a business that can actually deliver.

My career eventually brought me inside the companies I’d spent years analyzing.

Over 14 years in investor relations and corporate leadership, I’ve built investor relations functions from scratch, partnered with CEOs and boards, and helped leadership teams navigate growth, transformation, and changing market expectations. I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside some of the most influential business leaders in the world, and to see firsthand how exceptional leaders think, make decisions, and create value.

Today, as a CFO, I aim to bring together the analytical discipline of an investor, the strategic perspective of an executive, and the practical experience of someone accountable for delivering results.

I’ve sat on both sides of the table. I know how value is evaluated, how it’s communicated, and what it takes to create it.

WHY I DO WHAT I DO

Experience is valuable. Sharing it is even more powerful.

Throughout my career, I’ve benefited from extraordinary mentors, demanding opportunities, and lessons that weren’t always easy to learn.

I’ve also seen how access to the right knowledge, perspective, and guidance can fundamentally change someone’s trajectory.

That’s why, alongside my work as a CFO, I’ve made speaking, executive coaching, and strategic advisory an important part of what I do.

Through keynote speaking, I help audiences rethink challenges, develop financial confidence, and understand how their decisions can shape their futures.

Through executive coaching, I work with ambitious leaders who want to sharpen their judgment, expand their perspective, and become more effective in roles with increasing responsibility.

BEYOND THE BOARDROOM

I split my time between Colorado and Montana, where you’ll often find me outdoors, on a hiking trail, or in the saddle. I continue to pursue equestrian show jumping at the international level. It’s a sport that has shaped my life, taught me to remain calm under pressure and uncertainty, and continues to challenge me every time I step into the arena.

I’m an avid reader, an endurance enthusiast, and a passionate traveler. I’ve trekked the W Circuit in Patagonia, visited seven Wonders of the World, and am always looking for the next adventure that takes me somewhere new or pushes me beyond my comfort zone.

I’m happiest when I’m helping others be seen and loved for who they are. I love learning, challenging myself, and experiencing something new.

I believe in building a life that’s as full and ambitious outside the boardroom as it is inside it. Your experiences outside of work only make you better inside the office.

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