Mike Miles joined the Institute for Industrial Relations, based in Johannesburg, as the Assistant Director in 1984 and was appointed its Executive Director in 1987. He was formerly a magistrate in the Zimbabwean Justice Department and worked in the personnel and industrial relations fields in the South African Mining Industries. The Institute for Industrial Relations was closed in May 1990 and Mike started his own practice as a Labour Management Advisor to employers, specialising in all aspects of labour relations.

He has a Master of Management Degree (Wits) focusing on Human Resource Management, a BA Degree in Law and Social Anthropology (Rhodes), the Magistrates Admission Examination (Zimbabwe), an Intermediate IPM Diploma, the Development Programme in Labour Relations (Unisa), the Advanced Diploma in Labour Law (RAU), and Certificates in Legislative Drafting and New Rules in Cross Examination (University of Pretoria).

Mike has a sound and thorough understanding of the employment relationship and is well qualified to advise clients on all aspects of industrial relations in a personal and approachable manner. He was also a part time Commissioner at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) for 10 years from its inception in 1997 until 2007.

During his spare time, he is an active beekeeper promoting beekeeping amongst hobbyist beekeepers, has advised the National Beekeeping Industry on beekeeping legislation in South Africa and was the Chairman of the South African Beekeeping Industry Organisation (SABIO) between 2013 and 2019. He was involved in the drafting of amended Beekeeping Legislation covering all aspects of the sector’s interests.