Ilitch Sports + Entertainment is proud to announce the promotion of Michele Bartos to senior vice president of Human Resources. During her 20+ year tenure with the Ilitch organization, Michele has remained dedicated to supporting the most important asset of the organization: its people. 

 “Our people are the backbone of our organization, and I am grateful for the opportunity to ensure our businesses continue to attract and retain the best and brightest talent,” said Michele. “One of my greatest professional joys has been to help people join our organization and then see them thrive and   grow in their careers.” 

Michele began her Ilitch career in 1997 as a recruiter for Olympia Entertainment. Her keen ability to identify and engage skilled, diverse talent as well as help on policies, benefits matters, and other employment related issues was recognized, and she was soon promoted to director of Human Resources. Michele’s scope of responsibility continued to expand, and she was again promoted to vice president of Human Resources, supporting not only Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, but also Ilitch Holdings and Olympia Development of Michigan.

“Michele is an invaluable member of our team and a tireless advocate for our colleagues,” said Chris McGowan, president and CEO of Ilitch + Sports and Entertainment. “We are thrilled to promote Michele to senior vice president and look forward to her continued leadership on important issues impacting our people and organization.” 

Over the past two decades, Michele has played a pivotal role in some the most transformational sports and entertainment milestones across the Ilitch organization, including the recruitment and training of event staff when both Comerica Park and Little Caesars Arena opened in The District Detroit. Leading up to the opening of Little Caesars Arena and the creation of 313 Presents, Michele led the complex organizational restructuring and transition, helping to ensure that new and existing colleagues were set up for success.

“I’ve greatly enjoyed being a part of the Ilitch companies and am excited for the opportunity to lead the human resource function at the next level, nurturing the culture and spearheading our people-focused initiatives to support strategic business priorities,” Michele said.