Michael West

Michael was born in Knoxville, Tennessee.

A lifelong lover of all things East Tennessee, Michael has spent 30 years living all over the South. For the past 25 years, he has served as chief executive officer of many companies––some successful, others not. Michael has been fortunate to experience memorable events and interact with thoughtful leaders who affected his life, leading him to wonder how this happened to the son of Pat and Ray.

Michael has lived a varied life that has taught him the joy of trying new things and the comfort that comes from time with a good book. His writing reflects his diversity of thought and seeks to inspire readers to wonder, laugh and think.

Today, Michael is Executive Chairman of Lirio, an agentic AI company focusing on patient engagement and behavior in healthcare. Despite his travels and wide-ranging career, Michael is never far from home. He lives a life full of adventure, and believes in good friends, contributing to society, and enjoying life. An avid fly fisher, Michael is always ready to chase big trout. He is also a prolific reader who tries to finish one book a week.

An unabashed fan of his grandkids, he now lives in Bristol, Tennessee, with his wife of 37 years, Tiffiny. They have two children. Ashley and her husband, Gautum, live in Fort Collins, Colorado, and Thomas and his wife, Alexa, and their son Emmett and daughter Adelina, live in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Get to Know Michael

  • Fly Fishing

  • Writing

  • Thinking I knew everything.

  • Peaceful

  • Peaceful, Simple, Comfortable

  • My Wife

  • Blue

  • It is what it is

  • Ask lots of questions

  • Scotland

  • Mom’s biscuits (I finally learned how to make them)

  • George Strait

    Willie Nelson

    Mark Chestnut

    Rob Thomas

    Allison Krauss

    Freddie Mercury

  • Doris Kearns Goodwin

    Paul Theroux

    Erik Larson

    Winston Churchill

    Malcolm Gladwell

“The Secret to Life is Enjoying
the Passage of Time”

James Taylor