Part of a series of interviews with Members of the Chester Business Club
The members of Chester Business Club are business leaders from a wide range of sectors and professions. Here is another in our series of “Member Spotlight” interviews with Club members, this time with Professor Chris Pyke, a Director at Fly High Media and Executive Councillor of Chester Business Club.
Q: Chris, tell us a little about yourself and your career journey.
My career has been varied, but there has always been a common thread: helping people, organisations and communities reach their potential.
I began my professional life as an accountant with Cheshire County Council. I then moved into higher education, where I became a Professor of Accounting and Finance and was fortunate to hold senior leadership roles at several universities, including Liverpool John Moores University, University of Chester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Lancashire.
At the University of Lancashire, I became the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business and Justice, which brought together areas such as business, law, policing, social sciences, and criminology. Upon my retirement from academia in 2022, I was awarded the title of Emeritus Professor, which was a real honour.
Today, I’m a Director at Fly High Media, a digital marketing agency based near Chester and in Manchester, where I work alongside the Managing Director, my son Matt Pyke, and a talented team committed to helping ambitious businesses grow online.
Q: How did you become involved with Fly High Media?
Fly High Media was founded in 2016 by Matt while he was studying for a degree in marketing. Like many entrepreneurial stories, it started small, from university rooms, helping local businesses in Manchester build their online presence through social media and web design.
Since then, the agency has grown significantly. We now work with businesses across a wide range of sectors, offering services such as search engine optimisation (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC), social media management, digital PR, website design, development and hosting.
When I retired from higher education, Matt asked me to join the company. For me, the attraction was not just an opportunity to work with him, but the chance to support a growing business and a young, ambitious team. My background in leadership, finance, governance and education complements the digital marketing expertise within the agency.
Q: What does your role at Fly High Media involve?
My role is a mixture of strategy, finance, contracts and business development. I help and support the leadership team to ensure the agency is well-managed and focused on sustainable growth.
As with any growing business, there is always a balance to strike. You need to be ambitious, but also disciplined. You need to invest in people and systems, but also ensure decisions are grounded in sound financial judgment.
Q: What sets Fly High Media apart?
We are a small but ambitious agency, which gives us the ability to be responsive and provide a personal service. We take the time to understand each client’s business, their market and what they are trying to achieve. Our mission is to grow clients’ revenue by delivering bespoke digital marketing solutions grounded in data, creativity and strategic thinking.
Our values are important too. We aim to be client-focused, results-driven and transparent. We want long-term partnerships rather than quick wins. That is very much how I have always preferred to work throughout my career.
Q: You spent many years in higher education. Does that influence how you approach business today?
Absolutely. Higher education taught me a great deal about leadership, people, governance and long-term impact.
Universities are complex organisations. You have to bring together academic ambition, student outcomes, financial sustainability, employer engagement and civic responsibility. That experience has definitely shaped how I think about business.
I still believe strongly in education and lifelong learning. Whether you are a student, a business owner or a young person starting their career, learning can transform lives. That principle has stayed with me throughout my career and continues to influence the way I work with both colleagues and clients.
Q: What kind of clients does Fly High Media typically work with?
We work with a wide variety of clients, from SMEs and professional services firms to ecommerce, healthcare, manufacturing, education and other specialist sectors.
The common factor is ambition. We enjoy working with organisations that want to grow, improve their digital presence and take a more structured approach to marketing. Some clients come to us because their website traffic has dropped. Others want more leads, better-quality enquiries or a clearer digital strategy.
Our job is to diagnose the issue, create a practical plan and then execute it properly.
Q: Looking ahead, what excites you most about Fly High Media’s future?
Digital marketing is changing quickly, particularly with the growth of AI, automation and new search behaviours. That creates challenges, but also huge opportunities for agencies that are willing to adapt.
What excites me most is the chance to keep building a strong, capable team and to help more businesses achieve measurable growth. Fly High Media has come a long way over the last decade, but there is still a great deal more we want to achieve. We aim to keep growing carefully, keep investing in our people and keep delivering work that genuinely makes a difference for clients.
Q: Outside work, what keeps you busy?
Having moved from a long career in higher education into business, I still enjoy mentoring, advising and helping people think through their own development. I have always believed that success is rarely achieved in isolation; most people benefit from encouragement, challenge and support at key moments in their career.
In my spare time, I enjoy going to the gym, playing tennis, padel and occasionally golf (very badly).
Q: You are also involved with Chester Business Club. What does the Club mean to you?
Chester Business Club is a very special organisation because it brings together business, friendship, civic pride and charitable purpose.
It is not just a networking group. It is a community of people who care about Chester and want to see the city and its wider business community thrive. The Club has a strong tradition of supporting good causes, encouraging collaboration and giving business leaders a platform to contribute positively to the area.
I am pleased to serve on the Executive Council and to play a part in supporting the Club’s activities. Chester has an outstanding business community, and the Club provides a valuable way to connect people who might otherwise never meet.
For more information about Chris Pyke and Fly High Media, visit Fly High Media. https://www.flyhighmedia.co.uk/