Michael was born in Zürich (1971) and grew up near Vevey in Switzerland. He completed his degree at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Michael's passion for Sharks became reality at the Bimini Biological Field Station in the Bahamas in 1995, subsequently followed by his move to South Africa, where he founded the NGO White Shark Trust, and directed different research and conservation projects on the population of White Sharks from 1997 to 2007.

Michael developed a non-invasive photographic based identification technique using the individual notches and markings on the dorsal fin of White Sharks: finprinting. In 2001, a scientific team managed to establish a genetic connection (Nature) between South African and Australian White Sharks, and in 2004, a direct link was identified using satellite telemetry (Science). In 2006, he published a reference book 'South Africa's Great White Sharks' (Struik Publishers).

Upon returning to Switzerland in 2008, Michael taught Biology, Mathematics and Physics up to IB level courses at a private school for two years, before working working with world reknown explorer Mike Horn on the Pangaea Young Explorers project from 2010 onwards.

In October 2012, Michael became CEO of the Save Our Seas Foundation, and took the leadership of this Foundation known worldwide for its committment to protecting our Oceans by funding research, education, awareness and conservation projects targetting the major threats to the marine ecosystems. The Foundation's objectives are focusing on the more charismatic and endangered megafauna of our Oceans.