Mike Hutcheson

Writer , Thinker

I’ve spent most of my life working out what makes people tick, figuring out what they want and why.

I’m a director of a number of companies public and private, a business adviser and an Adjunct Professor at Auckland University of Technology, teaching an online Innovation and Entrepreneurship programme. I’m a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and have a Master of Philosophy degree (with 1st Class Honours). My thesis was on the alchemy of innovation in New Zealand business.

After leaving school I enrolled at Law School but dropped out of after a couple of years through boredom and went into advertising. I gained the highest marks in Australia and New Zealand in the Advertising Institute Exams and went on to co-found agencies; Colenso BBDO, Hutcheson Knowles Marinkovich and Marcoa Direct. I culminated my advertising career in Auckland as Managing Director of Saatchi and Saatchi.

In between times I was a director of a family building company and set up Replica Homes with franchises throughout the country.

I co-founded Scarborough Fair, the country’s first Fair Trade/organic tea and coffee provider and planted a vineyard on Waiheke Island, setting up Lonely Cow Wines, with distribution into the U.S.

I’ve written four books, and have been a regular television guest and commentator. I’ve been a cartoonist and have written humour and innovation columns for newspapers and magazines. I was once Business Columnist of the Year – after bribing the judges.

I’ve served on a number of Charitable Trusts and Advisory Boards including; Vodafone Events Centre, Salvation Army, Spirit of Adventure Trust, Keystone Trust, Raye Blumenthal Freedman Trust, Covert Theatre Trust and The Graeme Dingle Foundation.