Michael is Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Cardiff University, currently advising on the Wales Fiscal Analysis Programme at the Wales Governance Centre. He was Director of the Wales Public Services 2025 research programme for six years until July 2018.
His early career background was as an academic librarian before becoming policy director of the Arts Council of Wales. He then worked as a senior civil servant leading on public service reform in Wales and has served as Wales Adviser to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
He advises the Citizens Advice network in Wales and has been a governor of a range of schools and other local bodies.