Meet Michael Patent, an industry veteran in entertainment and brand marketing, and a member of the Robb Report Singapore Thought Leaders community

Michael Patent meditates, drinks coffee, scans emails and attends bike training with Specialised Dynasty Mavericks (a competitive cycling team) before heading to work at 7am. How does he manage to squeeze these tasks into a single morning you ask? By waking up at 3.30am daily. Patent, an industrial veteran at the intersection of entertainment and brand marketing for nearly two decades, gets his resolve from his grandfather, who showed him how determination and hard work outweighs any other attributes in impacting one’s success.

Patent is now the CEO and founder of Culture Group, a marketing agency that serves as a creative and commercial bridge between brands and culture to create dynamic business outcomes. These days, when he isn’t at work, you can find him reading newspapers, competing in cycling races throughout Asia and going to bed early. He considers himself lucky if he’s able to catch one of his nephews in New York on Facetime before they head to school.

What aspects of Culture Group are you most proud of?

I am most proud of how we’ve enabled our team members to live their best lives and to support their families. My commitment to our team is something I take personally. We have a bunch of elements that serve the team. Period days for our female employees. Company-paid and fully anonymous mental wellness care, because life is stressful and we see no distinction between mental health and physical health. We offer a pregnancy bonus to new mothers and equal maternity and paternity leave of 90 days. Twenty per cent of our team members are also shareholders in the company.

What do you consider to be your top professional achievement?

In 2017, I had a vision for how the fashion industry would intersect with the games and esports space. That vision led to Culture Group’s work with Riot Games, pairing them with Nike in a creative brand and product partnership that defined the look of gamers in China. It was way ahead of its time and delivered on my desire to bridge the world of brand and culture in imaginative ways.

How would you like to be remembered once you leave Earth?

I’d like to be remembered as a person who cared, who gave his time to others, and was there for his friends and family when they needed him the most. I will never let my friends down.

Editor’s note: Get to know the full Thought Leaders community here.

Photography by Sayher Heffernan
Styling by Wei Lun Tok
Hair & Makeup by Benedict Choo
Credit: MAC Cosmetics