Michelle Mandara
Managing Director
Fairfield
Michelle Mandara is a global communications expert with 18 years of experience leading consumer, broadcast, and executive communications strategies for brands including Meta, P&G, Nintendo, Madison Square Garden, and Revlon. A relationship builder with expansive brand side and agency experience, she fosters client teams and diverse agency partners through ideation, strategy, and launch of globally recognized campaigns that expand business goals, ignite audiences, and shape critical conversations.
Prior to Prosek, Michelle was Head of Broadcast Communications at Meta for five years, where she crafted the global redesign and GTM for the Metaverse rebrand. Tasked across the brand’s portfolio of products (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Reality Labs / Oculus), Michelle developed and scaled the Company’s key global communications and executive media initiatives. She built a centralized global corporate broadcast function where none had previously existed, allowing the organization and leadership to deliver proactive, compelling storytelling moments alongside reactive issues-based reputation management.
At MSG Entertainment, Michelle was recruited to refresh the holistic brand identity across all properties - Madison Square Garden, The Theater at MSG, Radio City Music Hall, Beacon Theatre, The Chicago Theatre, Boston’s Wang Theatre, and The Forum in LA. Releasing new thought-leadership opportunities, partnerships, and media relationships, she was responsible for the successful masterbrand strategy, a premiere driver of new revenue and ticket sales.
As an agency leader at Golin, Lippe Taylor, and DeVries public relations firms, Michelle directed oversight of broadcast, executive, and digital communications, where she delivered major tech, corporate, consumer, financial, and business media relationships, as well as iconic celebrity and talent partnerships for Allergan, P&G, Nintendo, Revlon, and Keds.
Michelle has a B.A. in Communications from Syracuse University. She lives in Westport, Connecticut with her husband and their two children.
Q & A
What are you most proud of in your career?
Orchestrating the global comms plan for “12-12-12” The Concert for Sandy Relief was incredible. We made history, creating the largest music benefit concert at Madison Square Garden. Coming in at second place - booking and preparing Mark Zuckerberg and Gayle King for the first-ever interview held in virtual reality on CBS Mornings.
Name one thing most people don’t know about you.
Oprah Winfrey inspired me to run the 2021 NYC Marathon (one of the best days of my life!) and I am running the Chicago Marathon in 2023.
How would your mother describe you?
Outgoing, kind and energetic.
What are your greatest strengths as a communications practitioner?
I am a storyteller at heart with instincts that tap directly into audience emotions.
What is your favorite food?
I am a huge foodie but nothing comes between me and key lime pie - if it’s on the menu, it’s a must for me!
Describe your perfect client.
An enthusiastic collaborator.
What three hobbies or activities do you enjoy most?
Running, reading, and my husband’s cooking (he is a former NYC chef).
What’s your favorite part of the workday?
Before dawn. I am an early riser and enjoy meditating, working-out, and setting my intentions (work and otherwise!) for the day.
Who would play you in the movie version of your life?
Blake Lively (a girl can dream).
What is your favorite quote?
“Keep calm and carry on.”