Michael Henderson was born in England and spent his early childhood in a small agricultural town on the border of Wales. From an early age, Michael developed a fascination for human cultures.

After moving to South Africa, Michael was exposed to both multiple African and European cultures. A few years later the family moved again, this time to New Zealand where Michael was introduced to Maori culture and traditions.

Michael’s fascination with culture lead him to study cultural anthropology at university. After graduating, he travelled for five years throughout Africa and South America, observing, studying and participating in a wide variety of cultures.

After his travels, Michael returned to the UK to work as a sales representative in the advertising industry. It was during this time that he realised modern organisations had worse cultures than nearly all the tribes he had visited in his travels. He returned to New Zealand to work as a business coach and trainer, noting that many company cultures in New Zealand were also poorly understood and structured.

In 1995, with the encouragement of his wife, Michael set up his business practice Cultures AT Work, offering culture education and advisory services to organisations around the world.

Since then, Michael has gained a vast amount of experience through his involvement in over 300 culture alignment, culture change and culture enhancement projects. His comprehensive knowledge and insights inform the books Michael has written and are the basis of his keynote speeches and business culture education programs.

Michael is married with three adult children. He and his wife still live in New Zealand and travel extensively. Michael is an avid reader and has a wide-ranging music collection that reflects his worldly perspective and passion for culture.