Mike Hammond joined Merlin as Finance Director. He worked for subsidiaries of Omnicom Inc and Carlton Communications Plc in London during the 1990s, before moving to Australia for three years with Coca Cola. Upon his move back to the UK in 2002, he returned to the Media sector first with The Television Corporation Plc, and then as Financial Controller at The Goldcrest Group of Companies.

A Commerce graduate from the University of Cape Town, he qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant in May 1995.