IoD appoints Mike Perls as north west chair

Congratulations to Centre for Enterprise Advisory Board Member, Mike Perls, on his new role

IoD targets growth following appointment of founder and chief executive of Manchester strategic communications agency MC2.

The Institute of Directors has appointed Mike Perls as chair of the north west. Perls, the founder and chief executive of MC2, has been on the regional committee for eight years and takes over from Tony Attard OBE, who is stepping down after four years at the helm.

After taking the role Perls said there was an unprecedented environment for growth in the region.

"This opportunity for growth in the region hasn't been seen since the Industrial Revolution," he said.  

"The Institute of Directors can play a key role in inspiring leaders and supporting businesses to take advantage of the strong public sector support and infrastructure investment taking place."  

He added: “Our role is to support the opportunities that we are seeing in key sectors such as health and life sciences, technology, media and telecoms, advanced materials and manufacturing, financial technology and energy.

"We need, as a region, to develop robust supply chains around assets like Wirral Waters, Alderley Park, Manchester Airport, MediaCityUK and the National Graphene Institute.

"My entire focus over the next three years will be to inspire businesses to maximise the opportunity that exists in these areas."

IoD regional director Rachel Smith said: “First and foremost, I would like to thank Tony Attard for the fantastic work he has done for the IoD over the past four years.

"Much like Tony, Mike has been chosen for his long-standing commitment and passion for the IoD.

"Mike has been a driving force on the regional committee for almost a decade now and his vision for the North West is both ambitious and exciting. As the region heads into a time of great growth and change, I look forward to working closely with him to deliver that vision.”