Prior to joining Scheller, Michael spent over twenty-five years working at the intersection of international business, sustainability, and risk management including serving in leadership roles at Acorn International, LLC and Business for Social Responsibility (BSR). In these roles, he advised a broad range of international energy and mining companies on local content, social impact, risk management, community engagement, reporting, corporate social responsibility and human rights initiatives. 

Michael also has extensive commercial experience through his work at Chevron, Price Waterhouse, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) in political risk, fiscal analysis, and strategic planning functions. Michael's career spans assignments in the US and a broad range of international locations including two overseas residential assignments in Central Asia.

Michael has an MBA from Rice University, an MIA in international political economy from Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), and a B.A. from Trinity College in Russian Area Studies. He is also an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Sustainable Development Technical Section.