Mike Jeans read Economics & Accounting at the University of Bristol but he spent most of his time rowing – he was Captain of Boats (Past Master Sir George Cox was a great rival at the University of London) and Chairman of The Athletic Union. He followed this by qualifying as a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Management Accountant – but he still maintains that double entry book-keeping confuses him.

 Apart from a period with Blue Circle Cement, most of Mike’s ‘employed’ career was with KPMG which he left in 1994 having risen to the position of senior consultancy partner and a member of the overall KPMG UK Board.   Much of his time at KPMG was spent abroad (Middle East, East Africa, South Asia & the Far East).

 In the late 1980s, Mike was one of the founders of Activity Based Costing.  As a result of this, Mike discovered the link between performance measurement and human behaviour with the result that he developed KPMG’s global change management practice and has been personally involved in this arena ever since he left KPMG.   He works closely with senior management teams assisting them to address strategic issues and consequent change.

 Mike received an Honorary MBA from Cranfield University in 1996 and a MBE in 2006.  He has been President of both CIMA and IBC plus being Master of both The Management Consultants’ and Haberdashers’ Companies.

 Mike has twin children (the ‘Pair of Jeans’) aged 21 both of whom are currently at university.   He lives in central London and also has a home in northern Italy – in fact he often refers to the latter as his spiritual home.