Mike Mister, MBA, BA (Hons), ACIB, CFCIPD, MBPsS

Profile

Mike is an Honorary Professor in the Hub for Professional Practice at Queen Mary University of London’s School of Law, and a partner in Professional Service Firms International, the leading European consultancy for professional services firms. He works with the leaders of many law firms and professional service firms to enhance their ability to lead their teams, organisations and themselves. The aim is always to create stronger, sustainable and more profitable businesses. Mike worked with the Hub’s team to create Queen Mary’s digital leadership course “Leadership out of the Box”, available through the global learning platform Coursera.

Since 2014 Mike has been consulting full time with a range of law firms and other professional service firms both in the UK and internationally. His key areas of expertise and interest are at the intersection of strategy, commercial success and the organisation’s people agenda. He has over 30 years’ experience in the professional services sector, and for most of the last twenty years he has consulted around the world with partners and leadership teams.

Mike has many years’ experience in the design and delivery of workshops and executive education programmes. A skilled facilitator and tutor, the key thrust of his workshops and programmes is always to support leadership in driving change and improving commercial performance. As well as working with the world’s top professional services faculty, Mike has taught business strategy, leadership, and a variety of personal development topics around the world.

In his last major in-house role Mike was Global Director for Executive Development at EY Global (formerly Ernst & Young Global). Although London based he travelled extensively for over 15 years facilitating the development of partners around the world as the organisation went through a rapid process of globalisation.

Mike has an MBA and a BA (Honours) Degree in Psychology. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, a Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in the UK. He is the author of numerous articles and case studies including “Ellen Harvey” with Harvard Business School. He also co-authored the best-selling books “How to Lead Smart People” with Arun Singh in 2019, and “From Work Life to New Life: Re-writing the Rules of Retirement” with Rebecca Hill in 2022.

Postgraduate Teaching

His work is primarily Executice Education.

Research

The intersection of strategy, leadership and the people agenda in Professional Service environments.

Leaders in transition - especially senior leaders transitioning out their firms.

Publications

• From Work Life to New Life – with Rebecca Hill - published February 2022 Published by PYP
• How to Lead Smart People – with Arun Singh – published 2019 Published by Profile Books