Michele Coleman Mayes’ career offers an impressive example of increasing responsibility and strategic ascents, culminating in her appointment in February as vice president and general counsel of Pitney Bowes Inc. At the same time, she has always made time for civic and other volunteer responsibilities.
It is Mayes’ success at balancing a commitment to her profession and community that marks Mayes as both a Trailblazer and role model.
During her 27-year career, Mayes amassed the extensive legal and global business experience that she now calls upon to run the legal department at Pitney Bowes, one of the world’s largest producers of postage meters, with over 25,000 employees and roughly $4.1 billion in revenues.
Beginning in 1976, Mayes served in the United States Department of Justice as Assistant U.S. Attorney in Detroit and Brooklyn. She eventually became chief of the civil division in Detroit.
In 1982, Mayes entered the corporate sector as the managing attorney of Burroughs Corporation. Her career continued to evolve as Burroughs and Sperry Corporation merged, creating Unisys Corporation, for which she was appointed staff vice president and associate general counsel for worldwide litigation.
The position expanded Mayes’ professional portfolio and prepared her for future successes.
Mayes joined the legal team at Colgate-Palmolive Company in 1992. It was here that she achieved innumerable professional accomplishments, evidenced by the number of promotions she received over her eight years at the company. Mayes first served as vice president and associate general counsel in the United States. In 1993, she was promoted to vice president of human resources and legal for North America. She next became vice president, deputy general counsel and assistant secretary. Effective May 2001, she was again promoted to vice president, legal and assistant secretary and elected a corporate officer, a position she held until joining Pitney Bowes.
In her current capacity as general counsel of Pitney Bowes, Mayes is responsible for all the legal affairs of the company. She also oversees the company’s government affairs group and corporate governance function, which includes Environmental Health and Safety, Compliance and Integrity Affairs and Office of Corporate Secretary.
Her commitment to the profession and to advocating for diversity is evidenced by the wide array of civic commitments that she has maintained over the years. In 1996, she joined the board of NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund, and was elected its chair in June of 2001. Mayes is also a member of the American Bar Association, where she formerly served as co-chair of the Arbitration Committee and a member of the Commission on Women in the Profession. She also received the Margaret Brent Award from the latter. Mayes has been frequently cited by Corporate Counsel magazine as an inhouse leader and in the November 2003 issue of Black Enterprise, she was recognized as one of the nation’s top corporate counsel.
Mayes has been admitted to the Michigan, Illinois and Pennsylvania bars. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.
From the November/December 2003 issue of Diversity & The Bar®