Michael graduated from Charles Sturt University at the end of 1988, and joined Mojo Advertising where he worked closely with some of the giants of the industry including Alan Morris and Allan Johnston.
In 1992, Willesee moved to New York, where he joined the US version of A Current Affair at Fox Television, and again filing stories for Australian TV.
Later that year he returned to Australia and accepted a role with the Nine Network reporting for National Nine News before joining A Current Affair where he worked until late 1998.
His award-winning films covered diverse subjects including remote African tribes, true crime, religious phenomena and dangerous animals.
In March 2014, Michael resigned from Sky News Australia to take up a job in the office of Treasurer Joe Hockey.