Leading UK businesswoman
As the creator of the revolutionary Ultimo bra, Michelle is today acknowledged as one of Britain’s leading entrepreneurs.
Growing up in the East End of Glasgow, she decided at 10 she wanted to become an entrepreneur, so she recruited 12 teenagers to deliver hot rolls in the morning along with the newspapers. Michelle left school at the age of 15 with no qualifications, as she needed to support her mum and dad. Her father had been struck down with an illness that confined him to a wheelchair and her younger brother had passed away.
At 15, Michelle was too young to find full-time employment so at 5ft10” tall she got a job as a fashion model. At 20 Michelle got married and gave birth to her first child. She then decided that she wanted to gain some business experience, so took a job with Labatt’s Beer Company as an office junior. By the age of 22, Michelle was running Labatt’s Scottish Sales & Marketing team. However, 2 years on, just after Michelle had her second baby, she was made redundant as Labatt’s decided to close down its UK operation.
In 1996 she set up MJM International Ltd. Three years of development and a third child followed before Ultimo was unleashed to critical acclaim. The awards have flowed in ever since, including; Entrepreneur of the Year 1999 and 2000, Business Woman of the Year 2000, Young Business Achiever of the World 2000. Today MJM, has seven established brands including Michelle for George at ASDA, Ultimo Lingerie and Ultimo Swimwear.