Michael was originally involved in new product development, in the area of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, at Beecham Pharmaceuticals. Managing several venture groups at Beecham, he acquired a high level of skill in qualitative market research and the market positioning of new products.
Moving to LRC International, he developed long-acting contraceptives for the WHO Human Reproduction Programme, and a market transforming type of surgeon’s glove that minimised post-operative adhesions, transforming the market and achieving 100% market acceptance in British hospitals within a year. Michael also won international awards for TV advertising in Chicago, Cannes and London for the advertisement "Macau” directed by Ridley Scott in 1983.
Moving to Unilever in 1984 to set up a new company Unipath Ltd, he set a record (72% market share in 6 months) for a successful over-the-counter healthcare market launch with the breakthrough pregnancy test Clearblue, which became world market leader.
Other notable successes included the world-leading range of diagnostic tests for differential diagnosis in autoimmune disease (Shield Diagnostics 1984-90) and the breakthrough IUD contraceptive product Gynefix (marketed as Ji Ni in China).
More recently Michael has developed and patented the state-of-the-art method of monitoring and predicting the fertile period in women, now marketed by Fertility Focus Ltd, which is a company he founded. Michael has now invented and patented the world’s first direct treatment for male infertility, which is the key product of FIL.