Mike Perls MBE

Time on board - December 2017 to present

Why I joined the board - This position offers an opportunity to become involved in an organisation with aims, ambitions and values that mirror my own. It is also an organisation with a chance to make an impact at a unique point in time for Manchester.

Current Job - Chair of MC2, MountDigital and Crowd Network

Professional Background - I'm founder and Chair of MC2, the marketing communications agency headquartered in Manchester dealing with cities and brands around the world. Since 1999, I've taken MC2 from a two-man start-up to one of the largest independents in its sector, now 100% employee-owned. Its clients include governments, city regions, global corporates and high-growth businesses. I also chair audio-on-demand network, Crowd Network and digital marketing agency MountDigital.  

I am the Chair of Greater Manchester Moving and a non-executive director of Rugby League World Cup 2021. I'm driven to make a real difference to the communities I live and work in. I champion social mobility, diversity and entrepreneurship at every level. I'm a board member of Maggie’s Cancer Care Charity and a trustee of the Tim Bacon Foundation. I was awarded the MBE in 2019 for services to the communities in Greater Manchester. 

Skills I bring - As well as my knowledge of the complexities of integrated marketing, I spend a lot of time facilitating boards to develop strategic development, delivering keynote speeches, undertaking media appearances and crisis management.

Areas of Expertise - Marketing is my core competency. I am a trusted adviser to significant cities, brands and high-growth businesses internationally. I am visiting Professor in Marketing and lecture/publish on the latest brand strategy. I have been immersed in digital marketing since its infancy in the '90s and run a business that integrates expertise across marketing disciplines ranging from software engineers, digital marketing, the latest social media thinking, data analytics, media relations, public affairs, design and behavioural economics. Recent investments include drone technology and AR/VR capacity. We sit the consumer at the centre of our thinking, and through data analytics, create insight that enables intelligent marketing with a focus on return on investment. This competency to deliver programmes at scale, designed around the end-user, that maximise spend should prove a useful support to the executive team at Greater Manchester Moving.

Personal Interests - Sport has always been a key part of my life. I started playing rugby at the age of 6 and it remains a key passion in my life. I represented the Northern Irish Universities during a tour of the USA in 1986 and bringing a pair of rugby boots to Australia enabled me both to play for Parramatta during my year over there and gain a whole set of friends in a new country. I helped to create the junior rugby section of Bowdon Rugby Club and coached there for over a decade. I still go down most Sunday mornings and delight in the fact that the group of 13 children from the first session has turned into about 400 most weeks. I'm a triathlete and have competed in the UK Ironman in 2014 as well as the 70.3's in Majorca (twice) and Zurich (2017). As a cyclist, I have finished the Etape du Tour (2016 & 2017), Land's End to John O'Groats in nine days, the Marmotte and a number of other challenges. I swim and ski and play tennis and squash. My season tickets at Old Trafford are in the Stretford End and not the corporate boxes.