A career-long experiential educator, Michael began his career as the third associate of the Carlyle Group, one of the world's largest private equity firms, and then worked for seven years in investment banking with Morgan Stanley in both their New York and London offices. In addition, Michael brings 10 years of experience focused on the wellness, beauty, franchise and real estate sector in Europe, the US and Latin America. His work experiences in the industry include corporate strategy, brand management, programming, and operations rationalization. Past Clients include Miraval Resorts, Ojo Caliente, El Monte Sagrado, Botanique, Skyn Iceland, Clay, Argo Tea, Subway, Quiznos, Jimmy Johns and Sens de Marrakech. His business development expertise ranges from concepting and development through to brand management and operations optimization. Michael is a strategic partner of Room to Read (www.roomtoread.org), an award winning social venture focused on children´s education. He is a founding member and an executive council member of The Rio Leadership Institute (www.ilrio.com.br), a think tank based in Rio de Janeiro focused on fostering long-term views in Brazil. Michael is an early adaptor of the Grameen Bank, the micro-credit institution founded by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunnus. Michael completed his B.A. in International Affairs cum laude at Kalamazoo College. He completed post-graduate research for Professor James P Womack during his tenure at the Sloan School at MIT. He speaks five languages and divides his time between Rio de Janeiro, Chicago and London.