Mike's role profile

My current role:
Innovation, technology and design adviser to SME's. Specialise in advise on new products and processes, intellectual property and inventions.

Job title: Technology Consultant
Employer name: Business Link for Cumbria
Employer website: www.businesslinkcumbria.co.uk
Location: North West England
Industry / business sector: Science & Technology
Ethnicity: White
Highest qualification: Foundation Degree, Degree, N/SVQ4, BTEC Higher, Higher Apprenticeship
Registration level: Incorporated – e.g. IEng
Time in employment: 10+ years

What attracted you to doing this?
Having spent 35 years in corporate manufacturing industry, aquiring knowledge and creating new products and processes, I now get a real buzz out of passing my thoughts and experience back to people who need to learn.

What does your typical day involve?
I love to share peoples ideas, give an independant assessment and opinion, help with advice and find help and funding.

Tell us more about your environment in terms of work-life balance
I have been lucky in succeeding to encourage and help my 4 children to aspire to university and good careers. I'm the Captain and secretary of my local golf club. I'm a sustrans ranger. Part time IT teacher.

What are you most proud of in what you do?
Being able to quickly understand and assess any practical or theoretical process or product. Suggest improvements and advice.

Do your experiences of the current role you are in match your expectations?
More than.... so many creative people in Cumbria and I want to meet them all.

How did you get to where you are today?
5 x O level GCE. Boat building apprenticeship, HNC mechanical, electrical and production Engineering. 32 years with Nestlé in Europe brings 100's of training courses! IT consultant, business owner, Business Link Adviser.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of following your path?
Keep knocking on the doors, work hard, try to keep your name "cropping up".

What would you like to achieve in your career?
To help many more people with their ideas and businesses.

Out of 'office hours', what lights your fire?
Family, walking, cycling, golf.

What did you dream of doing when you were growing up?
Being a bus driver, or a nuclear scientist at Calder Hall!

Have there been any embarrassing moments?
OOOOOOOOOOh yes

Name 3 things you still want to do
Be a bus driver, and a nuclear scientist......sorry. and help to divert a fair share of government money into the Cumbria Science and Technology program.

Which TV or movie character most resembles you?
Victor Meldrew ........

If you could be reincarnated as one thing what would it be, and why?
a young Mike Bland, because I would love to do it all again.

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