A Little
Bit About Ammar Mirza...
A multi-award winning entrepreneur, angel investor and organisational growth expert who has helped establish and scale several hundred businesses globally. Devoted over 20 + years voluntarily supporting community cohesion, improving social and economic mobility for all communities.
Achievements
Throughout his distinguished career, Ammar Mirza has been widely recognised by his peers and numerous organisations for his unwavering commitment to making a meaningful impact. With over a two decades of volunteer service, he has taken on roles such as Chair of Governors for a primary school where he supported the school from being given a notice to improve to a consistently good rating, representing the private sector on local strategic partnerships, and founding a not-for-profit social enterprise aimed at addressing inequalities and advocating for minority communities.
In 2014, following rigorous validation of his effort and impact, Ammar was honoured with a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his exceptional contributions to Business and the Community. His relentless efforts to promote and support trade and industry have earned him recognition across the UK, including titles such as British Asian Entrepreneur of the Year (2019), Maserati Top 100 Entrepreneur, Williams and Glyn Top 50, the Institute of Directors Special Judges Award, and the British Community Honours Award, among others.
Ammar's other notable roles include Honorary Colonel of the 101 Regiment RA having helped establish and fund the Cadet Apprenticeship Pathway, become an ERS Scheme Gold Holder and launching Mass Armed Forces Covenant Signings; Immediate Past Chair of the Institute of Directors North East North, Member and Northern Representative on the All-Party Parliamentary Group for BAME Business, Private Sector Representative on the European Structural Funds Advisory Board, Patron of the Charlie Bear for Cancer Care Charity, Board Member of Marie Curie Hospice, Percy Hedley Foundation Ambassador, and a Northern Power Women Male Ally.
He is also the founder of the SME Centre of Excellence, which has helped thousands of SMEs start, survive, and thrive, together with donating enterprise support to various community groups. Additionally, he voluntarily hosts his own radio show on Spice FM. As a passionate supporter of charity and community causes, Ammar has raised and donated thousands of pounds to benefit those in need including NHS Charities.
Who is Ammar Mirza?
Self motivated and resourceful with a disciplined approach, able to prioritise and organise own workloads and manage projects, people and budgets. A well presented multi-award winning influential communicator with excellent written, verbal communication and interpersonal skills. Ammar Mirza has the ability to work under intense pressure keeping overall objectives, strategies and time constraints in mind, whilst continuing to motivate and support others and being totally customer focused.
With one of the largest most influential networks in the North of England keen to make an impact for everyone, with the ability to genuinely help businesses in all aspects. If you have a problem he can fix it, and if he can't he knows someone who can. Ammar Mirza has now personally helped establish hundreds of new businesses, as well as, helping as many existing ones. Where they haven't succeeded he has applied this learning to help ensure future enterprises succeed recognising the invaluable lessons learned. A serial entrepreneur, angel investor and innovation expert with experience and expertise across a broad range of industries working across the public private and third sectors.
You can watch a recent video HERE on Ammar's life experiences and read news articles HERE.
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Ammar Mirza's Story
Born in the North East of England, Ammar Mirza has always had a deep passion in innovation and enterprise, starting work at the age of 10 working in a corner shop at weekends to help support the family. Since then Ammar has consistently maintained several jobs and various roles constantly learning and improving himself.
Whilst initially Ammar went to London employed by the British Council, Ammar Mirza's career started in a call centre where he progressed into a manager and then moved into IT, where ultimately he was responsible for new service deployment across the UK. Having left that role after a decade, Ammar has devoted his life to the economic and social prosperity of the North East with a passion in innovation, inclusion and internationalisation.
Up until May 2024, Ammar Mirza was Chair of the Business Growth Board and SME representative on the North East Local Enterprise Partnership Main Board, Founder and Chairman of not for profit social enterprise Asian Business Connexions (ABC), Executive Chair of SME Centre Of Excellence and President of the Federation of Asian Business alongside being a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership (FoIL) , Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (FIOEE) and Royal Society of Arts(FRSA) as well as holding a number of academic qualifications including a Masters in Business Administration (Distinction) awarded by Teesside University.
He has a particular interest in enterprise education as ex-Chair of Governors of a Primary School, current Chair of the Progression Forum and a past David Goldman visiting Professor of Practice at Newcastle University. Ammar launched the Primary Inspiration through Enterprise (PIE) Project Charity in 2013, the first of its kind within the UK to deliver enterprise vocational qualifications to primary age pupils and more recently developed the world's first level 6 formal qualification in Business Model Innovation which is fully regulated and registered with Ofqual, the UK education standards agency. Whilst a non-executive director for 9 years at Newcastle City Councils' social housing provider Your Homes Newcastle Ammar Chaired various committees, helped establish the trading arm and led on the employability and skills task force
For the past few years, Ammar has been commissioned by the Academic Health and Science Network (now renamed as Health Innovation North East North Cumbria), part of NHS England, to help develop the Innovation Pathway assisting clinical entrepreneurs spin in and out of the Health and Life Sciences Sector encouraging, enabling and empowering more and better innovation. He was appointed as the Chair of HLS Pledge in March 2023.
