Michelle is the Senior Policy Adviser and Space Working Group lead for The D Group, a cross sector, membership led organisation. She is also the Specialist Adviser for the House of Lords UK Engagement with Space Committee and a Strategic Adviser to the Centre for Economic Security.

Her early career spanned a number of operationally sensitive government programmes across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and East Africa. She moved into the private sector in 2009, establishing Babcock International Group’s regional business in Abu Dhabi. In 2012, Michelle joined Serco Middle East to lead new business in defence. Since moving to the United Kingdom in 2016, she has served as a government engagement and strategic policy adviser in the defence and space sectors.

Michelle is an accomplished linguist, speaking fluent Arabic and German as well as conversational French, Thai and Swahili. She holds a BA in Political Studies, from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, and a MSc in Violence, Conflict and Development at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. She is currently a PhD Candidate at King’s College, London in the Defence Studies Department.