Account Services Director

VIEW

Transparency is core to the trust that we build with clients, and it’s the main guiding principle in my professional and personal lives. Even when what we have to say is difficult, being direct and open is always ultimately to the benefit of the relationship and the work we do.

STORY

When Michelle looks at a living room, she doesn’t just see furniture. She considers the whole space and experience — how color and pattern, light and shade, texture and line fit together to create a mood or a statement. She developed that eye while studying interior design in college … that is, until another, more dazzling space caught her attention: New York City.

“I stumbled across a flyer for a marketing club that was planning a trip to New York,” Ostbye recalls, adding with a shrug: “I’d always wanted to go there.”

Michelle was hooked — by the city and by the discipline of marketing. After completing her studies she returned to New York, where she worked at some of the biggest agencies in the country, eventually managing accounts and campaigns for brands including Starbucks, L’Oréal and Mars Wrigley.

Wider spaces ultimately beckoned and she found her way to Montana, and to PartnersCreative. Her understanding of how complementary elements combine into whole experiences, along with her eye for every detail, have proven a great fit for our clients as we help them plan and build complex, cross-channel campaigns, websites, and other brand assets and programs.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Houseplants. Michelle’s obsessed. “They’re like my love language,” she says. “If someone were to stick me in a plant shop that’s also a wine bar I might never leave.”

Kan du norsk? The daughter of a Norwegian father, Michelle herself is a dual citizen. While she’s not exactly fluent in the language, she has great memories of the months she spent living there.

Speaking of travels, ask about her trip to Florence. The most memorable part is what happened three days beforehand.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Who We Play For social media manager (past)
Phi Mu Fraternity community service projects (past)

EDUCATION

Florida State University B.S., advertising with international relations minor