Michael Birkhead

Michael Birkhead has a strong background in executive leadership and business improvement. Michael started their career at SABMiller, where they served as a Commercial Manager from 2001 to 2004. In 2005, they joined AngloGold Ashanti as the Head of Group Procurement and Supply Chain, a role they held until 2007. Michael then went on to serve as the Vice President of Business Improvement from 2008 to 2010, and later as the Senior Vice President of Operational Support from 2011 to 2015. In their most recent role at AngloGold Ashanti, Michael served as the Senior Vice President of International Operations Business Improvement & Global Supply, where they led initiatives to improve operational excellence and drive cost efficiencies.

Michael Birkhead completed an Advanced Management Program (AMP 194) at Harvard Business School in 2018. Before that, they earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Project Management from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1999 and a Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) in Architecture from the same university in 1995. Michael also received their Matric from Hilton College in 1989, achieving an 'A' aggregate and winning the Kenneth Beghin Memorial Prize. Additionally, they are currently pursuing an Advanced Management Program (AMP) in Business Administration, Management, and Operations at the Harvard Business Analytics Program, Harvard Business School, and Harvard Business School Executive Education.