Rod Wilkes, Chief Executive of The Chartered Institute of Marketing
Rod Wilkes is chief executive of The Chartered Institute of Marketing, the leading international professional marketing body with some 50,000 members worldwide. The Institute exists to develop the marketing profession, maintain professional standards and improve the skills of marketing practitioners, enabling them to deliver exceptional results for their organisations.
No stranger to The Institute Rod took up his latest role as chief executive in January 2007 although he has been a member for many years and was its chairman in 1994, which followed the posts of vice chairman and treasurer. He also continues his membership of The Institute’s academic senate and benevolent fund.
During his career Rod has gained a wealth of commercial and marketing experience having been managing director of Phoenix Metal Products, and group marketing director at Ellison Group. Prior to this he worked for some fourteen years in the commercial sales engineering operation of The GKN Group.
Born in the Black Country Rod left Kingshill school for boys in Wednesbury at 15 but went on to gain an HNC in Business Studies from Sandwell College and a Diploma in Marketing at night school. He has been visiting speaker at Birmingham University, visiting lecturer to Wolverhampton Polytechnic, and an external advisor to Aston University. Rod is an honorary Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Marketing, a Fellow of The Chartered Management Institute, and also a Fellow of the Institute of Directors.
Rod enjoys village life, home improvements and Crown Green Bowls, and is a member of Bridgnorth Bowling Club. He is also interested in outdoor activities, having gained his day skipper qualification in 2002 from the Royal Yacht Association.