“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”- Peter Drucker.
For most, this is an inspiring quote. For Ammar Mirza CBE, it is a life’s blueprint.
Over the last three decades, Ammar has not simply predicted the direction of business, education, and inclusive growth; he has built the very infrastructure others now rely on to navigate it. His work has shaped thousands of enterprises, influenced government policy at the highest levels, and created the first truly global pathway for enterprise education, a world-first that takes learners from age six to sixty-plus.
Today, Ammar is recognised as one of the leading authorities on Innovation, Internationalisation, and Investment: the three pillars of his self-designed 3IP model and as the founder of programmes and hubs that have transformed local ambition into global opportunity.
From Newcastle Roots to a Global Platform
Ammar’s journey began far from the corridors of power and boardrooms he now occupies. Born in Newcastle to a hardworking immigrant family, he was just ten years old when he took his first job in a local shop, earning £2 for a weekend’s work, which he promptly handed to his late mother to help with bills.
That early experience taught him three enduring lessons: the value of hard work, the power of community, and the transformative effect of small acts with big intent.
“Many people are excluded from opportunity not because they lack talent, but because they lack visibility and support,” Ammar reflects.
These values would later become the foundation for his career, and the driving force behind a mission that blends commercial growth with inclusive impact.
The 3IP Model: A Blueprint for Growth with Purpose
Innovation. Internationalisation. Investment.
These three pillars form the 3IP model, Ammar’s framework for building ecosystems where businesses thrive and communities prosper. It’s a methodology that governments, corporations, and entrepreneurs now seek out, not because it looks good on paper, but because it works in practice.
Innovation means more than technology; it’s about creating new business models, services, and ways of thinking. Ammar has led the development of the world’s first Ofqual-registered Level 6 qualification in Business Model Innovation, ensuring innovation can be taught, measured, and scaled.
Internationalisation connects local talent and products to global markets. Through platforms like the International Space Station (ISS) Airview at Newcastle International Airport and ISS Freeports at Teesside, Ammar has created frictionless entry points for trade, linking the UK to growth corridors in Riyadh, Bangalore, Sharjah, and Istanbul.
Investment underpins it all, not just capital investment, but social and human investment. Under Ammar’s leadership, his ventures have facilitated over £150 million in trade and investment, creating sustainable jobs and market access for SMEs worldwide.
World-First Enterprise Education: From Age Six to Sixty-Plus
If there’s one achievement that cements Ammar’s place among the world’s most forward-thinking entrepreneurs, it’s this: he has designed and delivered the first integrated enterprise education pathway that engages learners from early primary school through to post-retirement.
Through his Primary to Prosperity initiative, developed in partnership with the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IoEE), Ammar has embedded enterprise challenges, vocational qualifications, and real-world business experiences into mainstream education.
Impact in numbers:
5,000+ young people have completed enterprise challenges before leaving school.
Adult learners have achieved globally recognised vocational qualifications, leading directly to business launches, career changes, and export success.
Pilot programmes are being rolled out across three continents, with governments in the Middle East and Asia now exploring national adoption.
The approach is underpinned by global research. The OECD has long argued that entrepreneurial skills will be among the most essential for future workforces. UNESCO has highlighted lifelong learning as a key driver for economic resilience. Ammar’s pathway delivers both, not in theory, but in practice, with measurable outcomes.
Building Global Trade Corridors
Beyond education, Ammar is an architect of physical and digital infrastructure that powers trade and investment.
ISS Airview and ISS Freeports are not just business parks; they are ecosystems. At Newcastle International Airport, Airview serves as a launchpad for UK companies entering global markets, while also providing soft-landing facilities for inward investors.
At Teesside International Airport, ISS Freeports sits at the heart of the UK’s first and largest operational Freeport, offering customs and tax benefits, bonded storage, and multimodal connectivity. Under Ammar’s leadership, these hubs have:
- Enabled SMEs to access 1.5 billion consumers through strategic trade agreements.
- Hosted high-level trade missions with Saudi Arabia, India, and Türkiye.
- Delivered specialist accelerator programmes in AI, blockchain-enabled logistics, and advanced manufacturing.
The World Bank has emphasised that trade facilitation is a critical driver of GDP growth. Ammar’s hubs are living proof, creating measurable economic uplift for the regions they serve.
Turning Policy into Practice
Ammar’s influence reaches deep into government and policy circles. He has served as an adviser to the North East Combined Authority, NHS England, and MIT REAP (Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program).
Unlike many policy contributors, Ammar is valued for his ability to move from recommendation to implementation. Governments call on him to lead initiatives where measurable results are required, whether it’s boosting SME exports, embedding inclusive enterprise into education, or designing national innovation strategies.
“Governments come to me when they need ideas that work in practice, not just on paper,” Ammar says.
Innovation with Inclusion
Ammar’s Inclusive Innovation Framework is another world-first. By integrating design thinking, data analytics, and service design, it challenges assumptions and ensures solutions work for everyone, not just the majority.
This approach aligns directly with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Ammar’s conviction is clear:
“Innovation without inclusion is simply exclusion by another name.”
Through ABConnexions and the Inclusion by Default campaign, Ammar has engaged over 50,000 stakeholders to map and address systemic barriers in employment, enterprise, and education.
Recognition as Responsibility
In 2014, Ammar was awarded the CBE for services to business and the community. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (FIOEE), and the Institute of Leadership (FIoL).
Yet he treats these honours not as personal trophies, but as public trusts:
“Recognition matters only if it opens doors for others. Every award is a reminder to keep building pathways.”
The Human Side of a Global Leader
For all the global deals and policy summits, Ammar’s grounding remains personal. He credits his greatest inspiration to his late mother, who worked tirelessly to support her family and community.
Today, his wife and children provide the same grounding force, keeping him balanced through the demands of international leadership.
“When your work is aligned with your values, it becomes energising rather than exhausting,” he says. “You can work long nights and still feel fulfilled.”
A Vision for the Future
As the AmmarM Group expands its network of global trade hubs, Ammar’s focus remains fixed on two parallel ambitions:
- Making enterprise education a global standard, embedded in schools, workplaces, and communities worldwide.
- Creating trade ecosystems that are inclusive by design, connecting local potential to global markets.
His vision is not about creating the next unicorn startup for headlines, it’s about building resilient, innovative economies where everyone has a stake.
Why the World Calls Ammar Mirza
For heads of state, global CEOs, and education leaders, Ammar is the person to call when they want to:
- Embed enterprise into national education systems.
- Design innovation ecosystems with measurable impact.
- Open new trade corridors and investment flows.
- Deliver keynotes that inspire action, not just applause.
As one UK Government official put it:
“Ammar doesn’t just talk about inclusion, innovation, and internationalisation he builds them.”
Closing Words from Ammar:
“We are building a legacy where enterprise is part of everyday life from the playground to the boardroom. The future isn’t something we wait for. It’s something we create together.”
