General Counsel
Trench Group
Germany
“A great General Counsel today sees patterns before others do, gets the business to use technology intelligently, and is the person the CEO calls after asking ChatGPT for legal advice.”
GC Elite Leader Germany 2026
Michael Hartleben is General Counsel at Trench Group, a global provider of high-voltage transmission components and systems.
He is an internationally experienced legal executive with deep experience advising PE-backed industrial businesses through transformation and growth, with particular expertise in governance, M&A, legal innovation, and ESG integration.
He advises boards and senior leadership on enterprise risk, strategic transformation, and growth, and is known for combining commercial judgment with operational discipline in complex situations.
He holds an INSEAD Global Executive MBA and is admitted to the New York Bar.