Motorcycle racing champion turned business powerhouse, Mike Pero is one of New Zealand’s most recognised entrepreneurs and a well-known personality brand.
Born and raised in Christchurch, Mike first made his mark on the racetrack, winning six national motorcycle road racing titles - an exceptional feat in New Zealand motorsport history. He soon switched gears and by age 26 was earning six times the average income as a life insurance adviser, achieving the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table recognition in just his second year.
Mike invested his surplus income into aviation training, progressing from PPL to an airline pilot where he flew for Mount Cook Airline between regional centres before moving into his own businesses.
Mike’s defining chapter began in 1991 when he launched Mike Pero Mortgages, disrupting the mortgage industry by creating a lender-funded broker model that reshaped how New Zealanders accessed home loans. In doing so, he pioneered what has become a multi-billion-dollar mortgage broking industry in New Zealand.
Not one to rest on success, he launched a simulator company in 2005. The business, which built Boeing-like simulators, was sold just three years later for $15 million.
In 2011 he founded Mike Pero Real Estate, building the company from the ground up into a nationwide network of 62 franchised territories before selling his shareholding based on an estimated value of $20 million. Mike has also held directorships and shareholdings in regional airlines and has continued investing in ventures that combine strong branding with hands-on leadership.
In 2021 his reputation as a strategic thinker and business leader was further cemented when he was selected to host the TVNZ prime-time series The Apprentice Aotearoa, introducing a new generation of viewers to his trademark no-nonsense style.
More recently Mike founded and funded the Britten Museum in Christchurch, serving as its director and championing the legacy of visionary New Zealand engineer John Britten. Established in early 2026, the museum celebrates the remarkable Britten V1000 motorcycle - widely regarded as one of the most innovative racing motorcycles ever built and winner of the prestigious Daytona Battle of the Twins four consecutive years.
Now proudly a superannuitant, Mike continues to mentor emerging entrepreneurs and share more than 45 years of hard-earned business insight with audiences across New Zealand. His speaking focuses on sales, marketing, branding, innovation and turning perception into reality to drive growth in businesses ranging from start-ups to companies exceeding $40 million in turnover.
Mike is not just a speaker—he has walked the walk and encourages strong audience interaction to ensure maximum value for corporate clients.
Mike did an amazing job and we had great feedback from the directors that attended. Mike's talk was very inspirational and I learnt alot myself that I can apply not only to my work place bu ... keep reading Qantas
The success of the conference was due in no small part to the calibre of speaker and the industry insight and information Mike passed onto our delegates, both in session and in discussion afterwards. We thank him for his contribution toward ensuring the NZCF conference remains the premier conference on the industry calendar.
Very down to earth. Related well with our people. He spent time talking before the meeting about our organisation and our issues. He had a good handle on our business and his presentation hit the mark.
Initial contact with Mike was very positive. He was extremely accommodating and professional and really wanted to tailor to our needs. Mike tailored his presentation to meet the exact needs of the day. Very smart, interesting and witty. Overall a very good speaker.
Mike was an excellent speaker, connecting well with the audience and being right on brief. He set the scene exceptionally well for the remainder of the conference and was a true reflection of our theme "Living the Brand".
