Michael Birkin (executive)

Michael Birkin
Alma mater	University College, London
Occupation	CEO, chairman
Employer	The kyu unit of Hakuhodo DY Holdings ()
Known for	Developing concept of brand valuation, leading global agency groups

Not to be confused with Air Commodore Michael Birkin

Michael Birkin (born 1958) is an English global marketing executive, notable for his role in developing the concept of brand valuation as well as for his involvement in global marketing operations. He began his career at Interbrand in 1987, later working at Omnicom Group and Acer Inc. He founded his own marketing services company, Red Peak Group, in 2010. He currently serves as CEO of kyu, the strategic operating unit of Hakuhodo DY Holdings.

Michael Birkin was born in England in 1958. Birkin's father, Sir Derek Birkin, was CEO of Rio Tinto Zinc, a mining company. After attending Marlborough College, Birkin went on to study law at University College London. He was a nationally-ranked squash player and played on the Junior England Squad.

In his spare time, Birkin pursues an interest in Renaissance art from the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries.

In his early career, Birkin was trained as an accountant, working for PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1981 to 1984. Later, he took a role as PA and protégé to Sir Mark Weinberg, chairman of Hambro Life Assurance, now Zurich Insurance Group. While handling the project to change the name of Hambro Life (to Allied Dunbar) he met John Murphy, the founder of Novamark and Interbrand who consulted on the project.

In 1987, Birkin joined executive chairman Murphy at the new Interbrand Group, where he began as group chief executive. He held this role at Interbrand from 1987 to 1995, during which time he took a leading role in developing the concept of brand valuation and became well known as an expert in the field. He was a contributor for the book Understanding Brands, published in 1991.

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