Michele Sutton became Principal and Chief Executive of Bradford College in August 2004. Bradford College caters for approximately 17,000 students, has a £63m budget and is one of the largest further education colleges in the UK. The College is very diverse with large numbers of young people (4,000), Adults (9,000), Higher Education Students (4,000). The College has established a multi-Academy Trust and sponsors academies and studio schools.

For the previous five years, she was Principal and Chief Executive of Hopwood Hall College in Rochdale and prior to that was Vice-Principal of City College Manchester and Handsworth College (now City College Birmingham).

Michele joined further education as a lecturer in business studies in 1980 after 11 years in industry. She is passionate about the value that further education colleges bring both to individuals and the communities, towns and cities in which they are located.

She was a member of the YPLA Board (and its Audit and Risk Management Committee), and is now on the Advisory Board of the Education Funding Agency. Michele is also a member of the Boards of UCAS and Quality Assurance Agency

In July 2009 Michele was awarded the OBE for services to further education and community relations.