Michelle Lesh graduated from Bucknell in 2000 with a mechanical engineering degree. After more than 20 years working at GE, Michelle now runs a boutique advisory firm from her home in Amsterdam. She was Bucknell’s keynote speaker at the inaugural Engineering & Computing Career Connections Conference (EC4) in the fall of 2025 and is a Bucknell Engineering Alumni Association (BEAA) Board member.
Q: What drew you to Mechanical Engineering?
A: I always liked to build and understand how things worked. Mechanical engineering aligned best with those interests.
Q: Can you share a little about your career path?
A: I started at GE three months after graduation and worked there for more than 20 years in a variety of commercial & sales roles. In 2018, I had the opportunity to move from California to Switzerland to become the Global Sales and Product Management Leader for GE’s Cross Fleet Solutions product line.
In 2021, I took a leap of faith and left GE to become Chief Commercial Officer and a Member of the Management Board at Alfen, moving from Zurich to Amsterdam. Now, I’m closing in on a year as Principal and Founder of Prescient Horizon Consulting, B.V., a boutique advisory firm that leverages my expertise to offer companies commercial and go to market transformation
Q: Why did you choose to attend Bucknell?
A: I wanted to play volleyball and get an engineering degree. Bucknell’s scholar-athlete model really appealed to me and let me pursue both while also exposing me to areas beyond engineering.
Q: What did you like best about the College of Engineering at Bucknell?
A: The small class sizes and engaging professors, some of whom I still keep in touch with, were really appealing to me.
Q: Were there any classes, professors or experiences at Bucknell that had a big impact on you?
A: Participating in the Institute for Leadership in Technology and Management (ILTM) program marked the first time I was able to connect the dots between engineering and the broader world. This program showed me more options for how I might use my degree in the outside world.
Note: ILTM was a summer program at Bucknell that started as a way to bring academics and industry together, specifically students from engineering and business majors, with students presenting solutions to clients in the final week.
Q: Looking back, what was one of your most meaningful experiences as a student?
A: Being the first Bucknell volleyball team – and Bison women’s sport! – to make the NCAA postseason tournament was a major highlight. In 1998, we won the Patriot League Championship and advanced to NCAAs. It was such a memorable achievement.
Q: How did attending Bucknell prepare you for your professional career?
A: What was important to me was the size of the school, as well as being able to be a student-athlete and involved in a variety of different activities on campus. I didn’t have to stay in a narrow lane at Bucknell. For example, I was part of the Concert Committee, which was the first time I managed a budget, put on a major event and got to be more than an engineering student. It’s why I am where I am today. I was part of a broader community. I wasn’t just an engineer. I wasn’t just an athlete. I was prepared to be a well-rounded person with broad skills and knowledge at Bucknell.
I remember looking at a lot of different schools. They were either academically oriented or only focused on sports. Bucknell brought it all together.
Q: What do you find most rewarding about the work you do now?
A: The ability to build and create new capabilities — in people, processes and businesses.
Q: How has your engineering background shaped the way you think or solve problems in your career?
A: The problem solving, the critical thinking and the broad learning that you pick up as an engineer have contributed greatly to my success. Engineering is the Swiss Army Knife of degrees.
Q: What is something you wish you had known as a student that you know now?
A: Just how much is out there and is possible. You don’t know what you don’t know. Connecting with others and having a focus on continuous learning are the best ways to find your path.
Q: What advice do you have for current Bucknell Engineering students?
A: Stay open and curious. Connect with peers and people in all types of industries.
Q: Why did you choose to join the BEAA Board?
A: I really value the foundation that Bucknell gave me and always appreciated when alumni were willing to engage with students. Being able to reconnect with the faculty and connect with students is very rewarding.
Q: How/why do you support Bucknell’s College of Engineering as an alum?
A: Being able to give back to the University, whether with my time or financially, will ensure Bucknell continues to be a leader academically and a place for scholar-athletes to thrive.