Women To Watch 2024 honoree Mesale Solomon-Mendes

Mesale Solomon-Mendes is the CEO and founder of Proverbs Leadership Institute dedicated to developing leaders and organizations through executive coaching, consulting, and board work. With over 25 years of experience as a seasoned global HR leader, she has worked across various sectors including manufacturing, insurance, and services. Mesale specializes in crafting people strategies that attract, develop, engage, and retain top talent, aligning these strategies with business objectives to enhance company performance and foster high-performing cultures.

Her passion for storytelling enriches organizational culture, enabling leaders to assess the

sustainability of their current culture and make intentional changes as needed. Mesale is

committed to co-creating cultures of belonging where employees at all levels take ownership of their roles within the organization.

For the past decade, she has held C-suite HR executive roles in private equity-backed

companies, leveraging her expertise to align people strategies with rapid growth and changing business needs. Mesale is also dedicated to mentoring young talent, offering guidance to emerging leaders as a way to pay forward the support she received early in her career.

Notably, Mesale actively served on the board of the Association of Professional Insurance

Women (APIW), empowering women in the insurance industry through professional

development, networking, and advocacy. Her leadership has significantly contributed to

fostering inclusive and equitable workplaces for women.

Her accomplishments span various industries, including implementing global employee

engagement initiatives with participation rates above benchmarks, spearheading diversity and inclusion councils, enhancing employment branding and talent acquisition, optimizing HR operations through restructuring, and integrating talent during mergers and acquisitions.

Mesale's adaptable approach makes her a valuable asset for organizations aiming to cultivate high-performing, inclusive cultures that drive growth.

She holds a Master of Public Administration in Human Resources Management from Clark

Atlanta University and a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication from Western

Michigan University. Additionally, she earned a Six Sigma Greenbelt certification, underscoring her commitment to continuous improvement and process optimization.