Mike Abel

Background

About Mike Abel

Business Builder | Brand Strategist | Change Maker Some people build businesses. I build fellowships - places where great minds come together to create, challenge, and change things that matter. Because when the right people unite behind a shared vision, extraordinary things happen. For over 35 years, I’ve been part of building and leading teams that have transformed brands, businesses, and industries. Along the way, I’ve worked with some of the most talented, courageous, and insightful people, proving that creativity and commerce don’t just coexist, they thrive together when focus and purpose leads the way. In 2010, a small, determined group of us launched M&C Saatchi Abel, not just to build another agency, but to create a company that stood for something. Bravery. Truth. Work that moves brands and industries forward. Today, as Executive Chairman of The Up & Up Group, I continue to focus on shaping businesses that are values-driven, people-first, and future-focused. But the real impact isn’t in the work alone, it’s in what we build beyond it. From the start, our team has believed that success should elevate others, not just ourselves. That’s why I partnered with the Uncedo Black Taxi Association to co-found my first agency during apartheid, ensuring real shared ownership. It’s why M&C Saatchi Abel awarded equity to Baphumelele Orphanage when we started, because businesses can be a force for meaningful change. This same belief in using creativity for good led to The Street Store, the world’s first open-source, pop-up clothing store for the poor and homeless. What started as a simple idea became a global movement, with over a thousand Street Stores bringing dignity, choice, and warmth to people in need across the world. None of this would be possible without the people who believed in the idea and made it their own. Through every venture, one truth remains clear: nothing worth building is ever built alone. Success isn’t just about strategy or scale, it’s about the people, the partnerships, and the shared belief that we can create something special and better together. I believe in big ideas. I believe in bravery. And I still believe that marketing, at its best, is not just about selling, it’s about shaping culture, telling the truth, and creating work that leaves a mark. I have only had one quote on my wall for the past 3 decades “The people with the best people win” - Jerry Welsh. It’s my guiding star in building teams, companies and relationships. And I want my companies to always be a place for curious and imaginative people.