Michael is an inspirational speaker specializing in leadership, resilience, and critical decision-making in high-stress/ adverse consequence situations. He empowers leaders with the mindset, principles, and tools possessed by successful expedition leaders so that they may excel in times of crisis. He works with Companies and their CEO’s, Executives, and other leaders- decision makers- who must act in the reality of ever-changing conditions and high levels of uncertainty. Who, as a consequence, experience anxiety and fear which clouds their judgment and impairs good decision making at a time when it is most critical. Working to develop that certain mindset and necessary skills, Michael improves their ability to take decisive action in the face of uncertainty with a clear, calm, and focused mind.

Michael possesses a rare combination of experiences. He earned a Diploma in Advanced International Legal Studies at the University of Salzburg, a Juris Doctorate at McGeorge School of Law, a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, and a second Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine. He worked 19 years as a criminal prosecutor on cases against criminal biker gangs, narcotics traffickers and capital murderers.
Thereafter, he presided for 12 years as a Superior Court Judge in a felony trial court, during which he was elected to the position of presiding judge by his peers. He now works as an Adventure Photographer, travels to the world’s wild places, and brings back the intimate story of the people who live there. From these global adventures and his highly rated podcast Whiskey and a Map, he captivates audiences with epic tales while sharing the lessons learned in resilience, leadership and critical decision making.

His travels have taken him across four continents and into the jungles of Borneo and Cambodia, the highlands of Guatemala, the savannas of Kenya and the deserts of Morocco. Whether it is a remote Mayan village in Southern Mexico or the streets of Istanbul, Michael possesses an ability to connect with people, bridging cultural differences and finding common understanding and respect.

Michael is a former Adventure Racer and mountaineer. As an adventure racer, he completed the Eco-Challenge Expedition Race in Borneo, and his team won the Four Winds Adventure Racing Series. He became a certified scuba diver at the young age of 13 and holds rescue diver qualifications. He has dived on reefs, wrecks and in kelp bed forests in many of the world’s oceans. His passions run deep with the sea and in the high mountains and it is there that he feels most at home.