Mike Blake is a hugely experienced businessman whose successful career culminated in executive board responsibilities at a leading global professional services firm. A chartered accountant and restructuring specialist he was a partner at KPMG for 20 years holding various leadership positions including office senior partner, restructuring division chief operating officer and chief financial officer of the UK firm. When KPMG Europe was established in 2007, Mike as European Head of Infrastructure was responsible for the integration of the various national firms' back office systems and activities. This included the implementation of a single SAP enterprise resource planning system in the UK, Germany and Spain.During his five year tenure as CFO, Mike oversaw an overall revenue increase of 47% to £1.7bn and a near doubling of profits from £212m in 2002-03 to £404m in 2006-07. He was also responsible for the sourcing, financing and development of KPMG's flagship head office building in Canary Wharf which opened in 2010 on time and under budget.As a member of the UK Board Mike chaired the Property sub-committee, participated in the firm's strategic planning, new partner selection panels and was a member of the Board's diversity sub-committee with specific responsibility for disability rights and flexible working. Mike has spoken at numerous conferences both in his capacity as KPMG's CFO and as an insolvency practitioner.For the last three years (2012-14) he has been invited to speak at and assess participants on the University of Sussex's Learning to Lead Programme.