Chief Executive Officer

Michael is a senior higher education executive with more than 20 years’ experience, including a decade at C-suite level, leading postgraduate academic governance, accreditation strategy, institutional systems design, and organisational operations.

As CEO of AGSL, Michael works closely with the Governing and Academic Boards on the design, implementation, and continuous refinement of the academic and operational frameworks that underpin postgraduate leadership education.

His portfolio spans academic governance, regulatory compliance, institutional accreditation, curriculum development, IT systems, financial and operational oversight, and corporate secretarial functions.

Executive & Strategic Leadership

Michael’s leadership operates at the intersection of academic integrity and executive performance. He has:

• Designed and deployed institutional governance frameworks aligned with university and regulatory standards
• Led accreditation and compliance engagements with partner universities and external bodies
• Designed and implemented scalable academic systems, policy frameworks, and quality assurance architectures
• Strengthened Board governance, reporting, and audit readiness
• Established and integrated ICT infrastructure supporting postgraduate delivery, student lifecycle systems, and digital learning environments
• Overseen financial management, compliance reporting, and organisational risk controls

His approach combines strategic design with disciplined operational execution, ensuring that AGSL’s academic mission is supported by robust institutional architecture.

Academic Governance & Program Development

Michael has contributed substantively to the design, development, and accreditation of postgraduate programs in leadership, business, and marketing. His work includes:

• Curriculum architecture and learning resource development
• Academic policy and quality framework implementation
• Accreditation documentation and standards alignment
• Aligning institutional frameworks with national higher education standards and regulatory expectations
• External audit coordination and compliance reporting
• Faculty recruitment, support, and academic systems oversight
• Program evaluation and continuous improvement processes

He has participated in institutional research initiatives and co-authored scholarly work, including:

• Fayed, R., & Gobits, M. (2025). Aspirational Leadership in the Age of Artificial General Intelligence.

His contributions reflect a commitment to ensuring that leadership education remains academically rigorous, strategically relevant, and future-oriented.

Institutional Development & Systems Innovation

A hallmark of Michael’s tenure at AGSL has been institutional capacity building. He has:

• Implemented enterprise-level IT and academic systems to support postgraduate program delivery
• Led website architecture redesign and digital recruitment optimisation
• Coordinated academic and financial audit cycles
• Established structured compliance systems with corporate and academic regulators
• Strengthened stakeholder relationships across universities, professional bodies, and regulatory agencies

His earlier leadership at the International Marketing Institute of Australia included pioneering online delivery systems and streamlining content production processes, significantly reducing development timelines for both standardised and bespoke courseware.

Corporate & Financial Foundations

Michael’s earlier career in banking and corporate/marketing analytics at Macquarie Bank, Bankers Trust, AGL and P/S/L Group (Montreal) established deep capabilities in:

• Financial analysis and reporting

Market analytics and competitive strategy

• Business process optimisation
• Risk and operational review

This commercial foundation informs his executive stewardship of AGSL, ensuring academic strategy is supported by disciplined financial management, risk governance, and operational performance.