Michael is a UK-based business leader and strategic communications advisor with extensive experience working at the intersection of international business, government, and strategic communications, advising senior leaders on growth, reputation, and public impact.

Michael is the founder of a strategic communications and advisory firm that he built and scaled before it was acquired by Bully Pulpit International, a Washington, DC–based public affairs and communications firm founded by alumni of President Barack Obama’s administration. Following the acquisition, Michael serves as UK Chair of Bully Pulpit International, working closely with the firm’s US leadership and global clients.

Alongside his commercial work, Michael serves as a Major in the British Army Reserve, with a focus on leadership development and organisational performance. His military experience includes supporting leadership and innovation at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the British Army’s officer training academy.

Michael is an Honorary Professor in Practice at the University of London and Nottingham Business School, where he contributes to leadership and enterprise education, bridging academic insight with real-world application. He is also the author of Mission: How the Best in Business Break Through, published internationally by Penguin Random House. In addition, he is the presenter of Change Makers, a series exploring leadership, innovation, and change with senior figures from across business and public life.

Earlier in his career, Michael co-founded StartUp Britain, working with then Prime Minister David Cameron and the UK Government to deliver national entrepreneurship and small business growth initiatives. He later chaired the Small Business Charter, overseeing delivery of the Government’s Help to Grow programme, which has provided business school–led leadership and management training to more than 10,000 UK small and medium-sized businesses. He currently serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the British Chambers of Commerce.

Michael serves as a Deputy Lieutenant in the County of Surrey and is Chair of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Advisory Council.  He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), a national honour, in recognition of his services to enterprise and education.