Michael Powell graduated from the University of Auckland with B Arts and M Arts (Hons) degrees in History, and from the University of Chicago with a PhD in Sociology. From 1979 to 1982, Michael was Research Fellow at the American Bar Foundation at Chicago, engaged in studies of the professional organisations of lawyers. In 1982, he graduated with a PhD in Sociology from the University of Chicago. From 1982 to 1988, he was Assistant and then Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he continued his studies of the sociology and social organisation of the professions. In 1989 he took up a position at the University of Auckland, where he became Professor of Public Sector Management and Deputy Dean of the Business School.  He took up his appointment at Griffith University in March 2005.