Michael Vale Biography and Net Worth

Mike Vale leads 3M’s Safety & Industrial Business Group, which includes personal safety, adhesives and tapes, abrasives, closure and masking systems, electrical markets, automotive aftermarket, and roofing granules.

He was most recently head of 3M’s Health Care Business Group, and prior to that led the company’s Consumer Business Group. Over the years, his career with 3M has sent him abroad four times for varied roles, including research chemist, manufacturing director and general manager.

“A decades-long career at 3M can span a diverse range of businesses, market segments and geographies,” Mike says. “I’ve been fortunate enough to see this company from many, many angles—and 3M is impressive no matter where you are in the world.”

Mike joined the company in 1992, shortly after earning a Ph.D. in chemistry from M.I.T. He was a senior research chemist in the Visual Systems Division before joining 3M Italy as a product development engineer. He returned to the Visual Systems Division before another posting in Italy as a laboratory and project manager. In 2001, Mike returned to the U.S. as one of 3M’s first Six Sigma “master black belts.” Those two years, he says, are what really grounded him in company-wide priorities.

Mike later became general manager of 3M Spain. In 2008, he returned to the U.S. to become vice president and general manager of Aearo Technologies LLC, which 3M acquired that year. After spending almost two years with Aearo integrating it into 3M, Mike became managing director of 3M Brazil in 2009. In 2011, he became executive vice president of the Consumer Business Group, and in 2016 was appointed executive vice president of the Health Care Business Group.

So what does he do when he’s not in the office? “Sleep,” Mike jokes, though he will say more seriously that he tries to focus his energies where they will do the most good. For him, that comes down to business/market analysis and team success. Mike is most proud of seeing the success of coworkers and people he has mentored during his time at the company.

Mike serves as a member of the board of directors of The Toro Company and is a former trustee of the Science Museum of Minnesota. He can also be found running, antiquing, reading science fiction and spending time with his family.

“The fundamental difference between success and failure really comes down to how you empower and develop the team that’s working with you. No matter how smart, how dedicated, how passionate you are, you just don’t have enough to do it all yourself. That’s one of the hardest lessons for a manager moving up the chain.”