Michael Spiegel is Chief Operating Officer at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, where he leads the Institute’s professional services and operational strategy, supporting world-class cardiovascular and diabetes research with strong governance, sustainable infrastructure and high-performing teams. Michael brings extensive experience in executive leadership and organisational transformation across research, higher education, corporate and not-for-profit sectors. He is recognised for building modern, service-oriented organisations that combine operational excellence with agility, collaboration and purpose.
Working closely with the Board, Executive and external partners, Michael helps shape the Institute’s long-term direction, ensuring the Baker is not only operationally strong today, but well positioned to deliver global impact for decades to come.
A strong advocate for people-centred leadership, Michael is passionate about developing future leaders, fostering inclusive and high trust workplaces, and aligning organisational culture with purpose. He is equally focused on ensuring operational excellence underpins scientific ambition — enabling researchers to focus on discovery, translation and impact.
His unique experience includes establishing a world-first automated antibody facility in Australia, a mobile app start-up, a German DNA engineering biotech company and multiple management positions in tech start-ups, finance and banking. He has a successful track record creating, productising, scaling and commercialising complex projects and innovative life sciences platforms to address changing market and community needs.
Michael is also an experienced non-executive director, and is currently Treasurer and Chair of the Finance, Risk, Audit Committee of the Royal Flying Doctors Service.