Seattle, Washington, United States, March 2026 — 8th Light has appointed Michelle Markus as Chief People Officer. Based in Seattle, Markus steps into the role after serving as VP of People, bringing a strong track record in people operations, culture building, employee engagement, organizational effectiveness, and leading transformational change.
In her journey at 8th Light, Michelle Markus served as VP of People (September 2024 to December 2025), before taking on the Chief People Officer role (January 2026 to present). Her focus spans executive leadership, growth strategies, people operations, strategic communications, and shaping culture and employee experience.
Prior to 8th Light, Markus served as VP, Strategic Partnerships & Global Markets at Singletto (January 2021 to September 2024), where she drove partnership and global commercial growth efforts across multiple regions including the U.S., New Zealand, Australia, East Africa, and Southeast Asia, supporting go-to-market planning, operations, manufacturing and distribution partnerships.
Earlier, she was Chief People Officer at Mud Bay (May 2017 to November 2020), where she led a comprehensive transformation of people functions with a strong focus on employee experience, recruiting, total rewards, wellbeing, and DEI. She also led COVID-19 health and safety strategy and workforce initiatives during the pandemic period.
Before that, she spent over a decade with Point B, where she held senior leadership roles including Chief Communications Officer, Account Leader, and Chief Communications & Culture Officer, leading firm-wide communications, change management and transformation initiatives, and culture and engagement programs. She began her earlier professional journey with Accenture as Manager, Human Performance, supporting organization design, job design, and large-scale training initiatives.
About 8th Light
Founded in 2006, 8th Light is a global software, design, and technology services firm that designs, develops, and deploys technology solutions for clients. Headquartered in Chicago with team members working across locations including London, New York, Los Angeles, and Austin, the company highlights a culture of continuous learning and collaboration and an interdisciplinary approach spanning human-centered design, education-driven delivery, and future-ready technology building.
Read Also : When HR “Produces Nothing”: A Response to Jennifer Sey’s Anti-HR Vision
The Fine Balance: Navigating Work, Life, and Mental Wellbeing
Mind the Leadership Gap – From Learning to Real-World Impact
How the Adecco Group is empowering its employees for the future of work
