Michael joined the University of Surrey in 2002 as the inaugural Director of the Advanced Technology Institute and was appointed Head of the School of Electronics and Physical Sciences in 2005. He became Dean of the newly formed Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences in 2007, served as Pro Vice-Chancellor for REF between 2011 and 2013, and took up the role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Innovation in 2013. Between May 2015 and May 2016 he served as Acting Vice-Chancellor before assuming his current position. Between 1995 and 2002 he was Professor of Electronic Device Engineering at Loughborough University, serving a three year period as Head of the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, and prior to that he worked for seven years for GEC-Marconi Ltd., managing the company's Long Range Research Laboratory between 1994 and 1995.

Michael has an MA and PhD in physics from Oxford and Warwick Universities respectively and is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the Institute of Physics and the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

As Provost, Michael is responsible for the delivery of all aspects of the academic endeavor of the University and the translation of the strategic imperatives into viable operational plans executed through the Vice-Provosts and the Faculty Deans. This includes the development, articulation and promotion of academic strategy to ensure excellence in research and teaching, and the wider delivery of a rewarding student experience.