Mike C Betts.

Experience

• Jul 2023 – now2 yrs 11 mos
  Hamburg · Remote

  Chief Product Officer

  Navar · Full-time

  • Building Navar – a workspace to collaborate with AI personas and digital twins.
  • Shaping a highly collaborative, open and innovative culture, with a remote distributed team across EMEA.
  • Leading the vision, strategy, MVP, problem/solution fit, product/market fit, test users and first customers.
• Jun 2023 – now3 yrs
  Berlin · Hamburg

  Digital Product & Generative AI Director

  55BirchStreet GmbH · Full-time · hybrid

  • Empowering organisations from scale-ups to enterprises to accelerate and improve results with generative AI.
  • Redefining AI workflows across disciplines and industries.
  • Developing and leading generative AI workshops, hackathons, labs and one-on-one executive coaching.
• Oct 2022 – Apr 20237 mos
  Berlin

  Head of Product

  MYTOYS Group · short-term role as company closed down

  • Revitalised an 18-person product community, improving morale and setting a new ambition level.
  • Helped to drive a Group-wide re-platforming project, developing and overseeing the migration plan for a successful business transition.
  • Improved product methodologies, bringing more emphasis to product discovery, with a focus on measurable value.
  • Set up a new product team for Retail Media, and supported the Product Owner in redefining the competitive strategy – potential 3× revenue increase, based on discovery research.
  • Helped to optimise and lead the run-down of the myToys business after closure was announced in March 2023.
• Jan 2021 – Sep 20221 yr 9 mos
  Germany

  Chief Product Officer

  Vreeda GmbH · Full-time

  • Led an 8-person product design / technology team, running user testing, smoke tests, MVP and product releases.
  • Developed the product strategy and supported go-to-market partnerships with insurers, football clubs and a major German DIY retailer.
  • Defined and led the product roadmap in alignment with business goals and Series A metrics.
  • Led the development of a new brand identity system to upgrade all touchpoints.
  • Collaborated on business strategy and ecosystem expansion with the founding team.
• Nov 2010 – Dec 202010 yrs 2 mos
  Berlin

  AKQA

  Full-time · 10 yrs 2 mos · Berlin, Germany

  Executive Strategy Director, Product & Marketing, EMEA

  Mar 2017 – Dec 2020 · 3 yrs 10 mos

  • Led and grew a high-performing team of 30+ Product & Marketing Strategists across Europe.
  • Developed a 10-week incubation programme for product/service development, together with AKQA's European lead for Business Strategy.
  • Key role in new business development, from a multi-million euro global account win, to lean and agile programmes with start-ups.
  • Led team in creating a global strategy network for a major client, integrating AKQA's international offices and third-party partners with client collaboration across three time zones.

  Head of Strategic Services, Berlin

  Apr 2014 – Mar 2017 · 3 yrs

  • Led all strategic disciplines in AKQA Berlin – strategic planning, product strategy, UX and analytics. Part of the Berlin leadership team.
  • Leadership role in winning and delivering outstanding work for IWC, innogy, and Zalando – including .com relaunches, social commerce and innovation ecosystems.
  • Lead role in establishing the product incubation unit for HRS, including a product concept to reinvent the consumer journey for hotel booking.
  • Championed process improvement, and developed strategic partnerships to enhance people and product offering. Promoted and modelled a culture of entrepreneurship.

  Product Strategy Director

  Nov 2010 – Apr 2014 · 3 yrs 6 mos

  • As AKQA's first Product Strategy Director, brought a new focus and skillset to product development for digital products and services. Won new clients with project budgets in excess of €1m.
  • Lead role in conceiving, delivering and launching MTV 'Under The Thumb' entertainment platform – a world-first in social TV with multiple awards including Cannes and Eurobest.
  • Helped to lead, win and deliver a large-scale pitch for Deutsche Telekom's innovation lab, including the application of semantic search, contextual interfaces and machine learning.
  • Delivered innovative concepts for digital marketing – connected products for NIVEA, Gröhe and Burton snowboards.
• 2005 – 20105 yrs
  London

  Co-Founder & Director

  Better thinking ltd · Full-time

  • A strategic consultancy working at the intersection of product, brand and sustainability. Clients included global telecommunications, international property, retail, financial services, fashion and third-sector organisations.
  • Built the concept, product specification and supply chain for 'the perfect t-shirt' – the world's most sustainable garment. Featured in a London Science Museum exhibition and launched in Selfridges and Tokyo.
  • Built the consultancy to a six-person team and won numerous new client pitches.
• 2003 – 20052 yrs
  London

  Brand Design Consultant

  Nokia · Consultant

  • Led design strategy through a two-year global brand harmonisation and revitalisation project.
  • Worked with Nokia executives and directors, and led a 20+ team to roll out the project to Nokia managers and global agencies on five continents.
• 2001 – 20032 yrs
  London

  Strategy & Project Director

  North Design · Corporate identity consultancy · Consultant

  • Worked alongside the company directors, providing strategic planning, project management and senior client management on a range of design and identity projects.
  • Helped to scope, cost, win and deliver major (£1m+) corporate identity programmes, including HM Land Registry and Telewest Broadband.
• 1998 – 20013 yrs
  Bristol

  Founder & Principal Consultant

  Juice Communication ltd · Full-time

  • Internal brand and communications projects for several financial services companies – including Egg, Liverpool Victoria and Royal Sun Alliance.
  • Built on and leveraged core skills of market research, competitive analysis, brand strategy, communication strategy and stakeholder management.
  • Developed methodology, published several articles and presented at international conferences to champion the importance of cross-functional team leadership between Marketing, PR and HR.
• 1988 – 199810 yrs
  Bristol

  Various B2B, B2C and internal marketing roles

  RAC Motoring Services Ltd · Full-time

  Ascended rapidly through the marketing organisation. In the final two years, a key member of the team shaping and delivering RAC's brand repositioning and new corporate identity. Helped to plan, price and win several multi-million pound contracts with automotive manufacturers including Toyota and Volkswagen Audi. Up to 10 direct reports across various roles.

  • Head of Internal Brand · 2 yrs
  • Market Manager · 18 mos
  • Senior Brand Manager · 18 mos
  • Brand Manager · 1 yr
  • Assistant Brand Manager · 1 yr
  • Marketing Assistant · 1 yr
  • Customer Service Team Lead · 15 mos
  • Customer Service Senior Representative · 6 mos
  • Customer Service Representative · 3 mos

Education

• 1994 – 1995Part-time

  MA Marketing

  University of the West of England

• 1991 – 1993Part-time

  Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing

  University of the West of England

• Sep 2022

  Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO)

  Scrum.org

• Apr 1995

  Project Management

  Cranfield Business School

• Aug 1997

  Practitioner in Neuro Linguistic Programming

  AD International

Honours & awards

• Nov 2017World Luxury Award

  Jewellery & Watches Website Gold Award

  For IWC.com – the world's first cinematic e-commerce website · with AKQA

• Mar 2013IAB Creative Showcase

  Best Creative Idea 2012

  Grand Prix · with AKQA

• Mar 2013IAB Creative Showcase

  Most Creative on the Move 2012

  Grand Prix · with AKQA

• Dec 2012Eurobest

  Eurobest Bronze Award

  For MTV Under The Thumb · with AKQA

• May 2012Cannes Lions

  Cannes Bronze Lion

  For MTV Under The Thumb 'connected product' platform · with AKQA

Selected clients