Michele (Gurunlian) Koster founded The Candidate Company in 2014 following an 18 year career in Human Resources, Recruitment and Executive Search. She has worked in both specialist consultancies and in-house positions and over the course of her career, has developed a broad range of experience across many business segments.

She joined the industry in London in 1996, becoming a specialist in Public Relations, Public Affairs and Technology. Prior to relocating to Australia, she was asked to join the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) with a focus on placing senior finance executives into critical, interim positions within local and central Government.

Arriving in Australia in 2004, Michele joined a leading executive recruitment and selection business where she undertook a leadership role and was responsible for the considerable expansion and successful diversification of the Brisbane business.

Three years later, she was approached by a boutique executive search and board consulting firm whom she subsequently joined in January 2008. Until April 2014, Michele was based in the Brisbane practice, operating as a generalist with a focus on Mining & Resources, Transport, Industrial and GOC’s.

Since moving to Brisbane, she has worked with many of Australia’s leading employers, successfully delivering on a diverse range of executive search assignments – both domestic and international.

In 2014, ten years after relocating to Australia, Michele realised a long held ambition in launching The Candidate Company.