Mike Herrington
From IRF 2008
Prof. Mike Herrington
Mike Herrington currently holds the position of Director of the UCT Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Mike was involved with a number of Southern African companies in the 1970’s and 1980’s including Nedlor Investments in Zimbabwe in the 1970’s and then as General Manager of Southern Paper Industries in South Africa. He then became joint Managing Director and shareholder of Classic Holdings in the Western Cape, the latter being a company which manufactures and markets by direct sales a range of up-market stainless steel cookware both in South Africa and several overseas countries. He started several new Divisions within the Group.
In the mid 1980’s he moved to New Zealand to take up the position of General Manager of a cosmetic company and whilst there started his own cosmetic company which he later sold. This company is still operating and employees over 250 people.
He returned to South Africa in 1989 and started a ladies hosiery company which he and a partner built-up to one employing several thousand people and dominating over 85% of the South African market. They eventually sold out to an American organisation, Sara-Lee Corporation, after which Mike continued to stay with the company for a further number of years, before “retiring” in 1999.
He was then asked to join the Business School in his present position in 2001. Mike obtained an MBA from Cape Town University and a PhD from London. He is currently involved in teaching both MBA and Executive MBA students specialising in Business Planning, Venture Capital, Entrepreneurship and Internationalisation of Businesses. The Centre orientates its activities around teaching, research and business creation both in the high-tech, high-potential sector as well as with SMME’s. He is involved in a number of SMME initiatives and has done research on SMME’s and entrepreneurship and is part of the prestigious Global Entrepreneurship Monitor which is an International consortium project incorporating over 42 countries. He has managed to find a balance between theory and practice.
