Michelle Howard did not take the conventional route into public affairs. Her early career moved, in her own description, “around the world, from singing opera in Italy, to journalism in Beirut, to greenfield site prospecting for small hydropower plants in east Africa, to developing nuclear technical training courses in the Gulf”. The golden thread, she says, was an early recognition that “a well cultivated network and a carefully framed narrative is often the difference between achieving intended outcomes, or not”. Howard is now Senior Advisor for Defence and Space at Lexington Communications, which appointed her in July 2026 to advise organisations seeking stronger relationships with the Ministry of Defence and wider government. Lexington highlighted more than 20 years of experience spanning government, industry and academia, particularly in defence, security, resilience and space. Her international career is independently borne out by current professional biographies. Before moving t...