Michael Pero is a New Zealand businessman and entrepreneur who has built a reputation for establishing small to medium-sized businesses.
Professional history
Pero founded his mortgage broking business in 1991. In 2011, Pero established a real estate company under the same brand name and today he is the Chief Executive Officer of Mike Pero Real Estate. In recent surveys, Colmar Brunton reported that the Pero brand awareness was significantly higher than all other mortgage brokers and most people surveyed considered Mike Pero Mortgages to be New Zealand's most trusted mortgage adviser. In 1999 and 2003, Pero won the New Zealand Pacific Business Award for categories Business of the Year, and Business Person of the Year. In 2003, Mike Pero Mortgages was named the Westpac Franchise of the Year. In 2014, Mike Pero Real Estate was ranked 23rd in the Deloitte Fast 50 with 327.8% growth, which placed it 6th in the category of ‘Retail or consumer product’. Pero was a founding member of the NZ Mortgage Brokers Association and recognised for his services to the Mortgage Broking Industry of New Zealand – he was the first recipient of the Geoff Chong Memorial Trophy in 2005. As one of the fastest growing real estate companies in New Zealand, Mike Pero Real Estate opens a new real estate office every 45 days. Mike Pero Real Estate is represented across New Zealand by 60 offices located from Invercargill to the far north and over 200 licensed real estate agents. As a community focused company, Mike Pero Real Estate formed the Mike Pero Foundation in 2014. Since then they have helped to raise funds of over $500,000 for the local community. In February 2017 Pero opened what he believes to be New Zealand's first permanent public display of classic Japanese motorcycles. Mike Pero's Motorcycle Gallery displays more than 60 motorcycles from the 70s, 80s and 90s – loaned from owners and collectors nationwide. Pero hopes that the gallery gives the general public an opportunity to appreciate some classic machines they haven't seen before or have wanted to see again.
Personal life
Pero was brought up with his two siblings Iain and Shelly in the suburb of Wainoni in Christchurch. His father Tom was born in Rarotonga, Cook Islands while his Mother Angela Christine Iwikau was born in Bath, England 2 August 1940. Pero is married and resides in Christchurch.
Sporting achievements
Pero was six times National Motorcycle Road Racing Champion, from 1977–82, twice 350cc & 500cc racing class as well as two times in the 410cc Production Series. Pero set the New Zealand land speed record for a 350cc motorcycle in 1979. The record of 238 km/h still stands today. Pero is patron for Motorcycling New Zealand. Pero has a strong passion for Motorsport and the Mike Pero Racing Team flies the flag for the brand in the V8 SuperTourers Series with Greg Murphy as the team driver.
