Michele Herlein, '89, M.A. '90, Guides Business Leaders As Founder of Her Own Firm
By Tony Scott

Michele Herlein, '89, M.A. '90, is the founder and CEO of CultureMax and the
author of a book on designing business culture. (Photo credit: Michele Herlein) 

Michele Herlein, ’89, M.A. ’90, has deep roots at NIU, and she brings the lessons and values from those years to her roles in the business world.
 

Herlein is the chief people officer for Bridgestone West, where she “partners with leaders and teammates across the organization to strengthen culture, accelerate leadership development, and advance priorities that support business performance.” She is also the founder and CEO of CultureMax, a company that consults with corporations to build a strong culture within their ecosystems.

“I help organizations design cultures that foster high performance, collaboration and growth,” Herlein said. “My proven methodology of aligning both the horizontal and vertical aspects of an organization ensures that culture is integrated into every facet of the business. My efforts have earned me recognition as HR Executive of the Year by the Middle Tennessee Society for Human Resource Management, and I take pride in helping my clients consistently outperform industry standards in both employee satisfaction and financial results.”

Herlein has also authored a book, Cultural Excellence: A Leader's Guide to Strengthening the Heart of Your Organization, which gives leaders a hands-on guide to designing culture with purpose and precision.

“My most rewarding parts of my job are helping organizations and people thrive through my focus on organizational culture,” she said. “I have had great success with many companies and I like that people feel valued from their work.”
 

Prior to founding CultureMax, Herlein held executive positions at Barge Design Solutions and Bandag, Inc. 

Herlein grew up in DeKalb and was surrounded by the Huskie spirit. Her father, Anthony Scaperlanda, was an economics professor at NIU from 1964 to 1998. Four of her siblings received NIU degrees: Mark, ’87, Greg, ’88, Angela, ’90, and Tonia, ’90. 
 

All of the Scaperlanda siblings were attending college around the same time, so they all lived at home. Having a father who was a professor at NIU helped the family financially and helped solidify the choice to attend NIU.

Herlein said she attended Kishwaukee Community College before deciding to attend NIU.

“I was an older student,” she said. “By the time I made that decision, I was a very serious student and committed to studying and learning.”
 

Herlein said she learned crucial lessons while a student at NIU. She said she was glad that she had a well-rounded education as a Huskie.

“The biggest lesson I learned is that what you believe, you can achieve,” she said. “I also really loved all the classes that were general electives outside of my major. I remember enjoying geology and archaeology a lot. Having a well-rounded knowledge base has kept me curious about learning in my life.”

In addition to her Bachelor of Science degree in marketing with a minor in economics and her Master of Arts degrees from NIU, Herlein earned her Doctor of Business Administration degree from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, in 2009.

“Before NIU, I thought I would be an accountant because I loved numbers and had taken several accounting classes in high school and at Kishwaukee Community College,” she said. “After deciding to start at NIU, I switched my major to marketing, and I am so glad I did. It suits my personality so much better.”

Herlein counts her father and her brother Greg as her greatest mentors. 

“My father always supported my studies, and when I had my first child on Christmas break of my senior year, I decided after graduating that I would continue with my master’s degree,” she said. “He was the one who directed me to the office to get signed up not only for school but also for a teaching assistantship that could help me with my tuition. His rule was that he would help with undergraduate expenses, and it was up to us to fund additional degrees.”

She added, “My brother helped me realize that I had the potential of getting A's in class. In high school, I was not an A student and didn’t see myself that way. He showed me what was possible and I ended up graduating magna cum laude.” 

This is just one example of how NIU empowers students to become leaders who shape tomorrow's world. Discover how NIU is fortifying our future at niuforward.com.