Michael Max has a broad background including geology, geophysics, chemistry, acoustics, and information technology. Max has a BSc (History, Geology) from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, an MSc (Petroleum & Economic Geology) from the University of Wyoming, and a PhD (Geology) from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.

He has worked as a geologist/geophysicist for the Geological Survey of Ireland, for which he carried out detailed scientific mapping and established a nearshore exploratory unit involving scientific diving, the Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC in shallow water acoustic propagation prediction, and the NATO Undersea Research Center, La Spezia, Italy in at-sea experiments and Chief Scientist designing and carrying out operational technology applications involving major research vessels.

He has also taken part in aeromagnetic surveys around Antarctica and scientific diving in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. From 1999 to 2011 Max was CEO and Head of Research for Marine Desalination Systems LLC, a small innovative R&D company which established a hydrate research laboratory and explored industrial applications of hydrate chemistry as a government contractor under DARPA and ONR. He is presently an active member of Hyrate Energy International, which is a consulting company specializing in unconventional natural gas, particularly natural gas hydrate (www.hydrate-energy.com).

He has been an author on many scientific publications and three textbooks and over 40 patents and patent applications, a number of map sheets and GIS/relational database operational geographic digital maps. He assisted in the writing of the U.S. Gas Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000. Michael was appointed by the Secretary of Energy to the Methane Hydrate Advisory Committee of the Department of Energy for 2014–2018, and is Co-Chair, Diving Committee of the Marine Technology Society. He has been a principal of HEI since 2001 and is also an Adjunct Professor in the School of Geological Sciences of University College, Dublin, Ireland, at which he is currently supervising a Post-Doctoral research student.

Max is a member of the Geological Society of America, Geological Society of London, American Geophysical Union, American Chemical Society, Explorers Club (Program Director), Marine Technology Society (Vice-Chair and Co-Chair Diving Committee), Coast Guard Auxiliary (Vessel Inspector), Acoustical Society of America, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and American Association for the Advancement of Science, amongst others.