Michael John Lee was born in 1955. He worked as an Operational Research Analyst, and later Project Manager for British Rail at King's Cross between 1976 and 1985. He then joined Network SouthEast as a Market Analysis Manager based at Waterloo from 1985 to 1989. In 1989 he became the Planning and Marketing Manager for South London route based at Waterloo and Croydon, serving in this role until 1991. He then moved to Network SouthEast Headquarters at Euston as the Head of Strategic Planning, working in this role from 1991 to 1993. He then worked as the Assistant Director of the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising between 1993 and 1997. He then became the Head of Operational Research of Transportation Consultants International (TCI) in 1997 and left in 1998 to join AEA Technology Rail as the Director of Management Consultancy, serving in this role until 2005. He served as Business Board Member for AEA Technology Rail until 2005 until 2012. He then joined the Office of Rail Regulation and worked as the Director of Rail Planning and Performance, Office of Rail and Road from 2005 until 2012, serving as a Full Board Member between 2007 and 2012.