# Michael Hughes

> Michael Hughes MBE is the San Francisco-based co-founder and co-CEO of LoopUp, responsible for worldwide product development and platform operations. An Imperial College engineering graduate and Stanford MBA, he previously helped build internet-telephony company Pagoo. He founded the Silicon Valley Internship Programme in 2013 and helped launch GBx, connecting British entrepreneurs with the Bay Area. His work supporting British graduates earned an MBE in the 2017 New Year Honours.

- **Role:** Co-founder and Co-CEO at LoopUp
- **Organizations:** LoopUp, Silicon Valley Internship Programme, GBx, Pagoo, Monitor
- **Nationality:** British
- **Education:** MEng, Aeronautical Engineering, Imperial College London, MBA; Arjay Miller Scholar, Stanford Graduate School of Business
- **Known for:** Co-founded LoopUp and led its product development and platform operations worldwide., Founded the Silicon Valley Internship Programme in 2013., Appointed MBE in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to British graduates in Silicon Valley and San Francisco.

## Career timeline

- **1986** — Began a sponsored placement at Westland Helicopters before university, according to his 2017 interview.
- **1990s** — Worked in strategy consulting at Monitor before attending Stanford.
- **1995-1997** — Studied at Stanford with a Sainsbury Management Fellowship and met Steve Flavell.
- **Before 2003** — Served as a founding member and CEO of Pagoo, helping build its team and expand into Europe and Asia.
- **2003** — Co-founded Ring2, later named LoopUp, with Steve Flavell.
- **2006** — Shifted the business toward conference calling with BlackBerry call-control functionality.
- **2013** — Founded the Silicon Valley Internship Programme.
- **2016** — LoopUp listed on AIM; helped launch GBx.
- **2017** — Appointed MBE for services to British graduates in Silicon Valley and San Francisco.
- **2024** — LoopUp returned to private ownership while focusing on multinational cloud telephony.
- **2025** — Recognised in Stanford GSB’s Alumni Catalysts programme.

## Achievements

- Co-founded LoopUp and led its product development and platform operations worldwide.
- Founded the Silicon Valley Internship Programme in 2013.
- Appointed MBE in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to British graduates in Silicon Valley and San Francisco.
- Graduated from Stanford as an Arjay Miller Scholar.
- Awarded a Sainsbury Management Fellowship.
- Helped launch GBx in 2016; listed on its advisory board in October 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — LoopUp announced a partnership with Digicel to provide Microsoft Teams Operator Connect telephony across the Caribbean region; this is a company development under the co-CEOs’ leadership.
- **2025-10** — His LinkedIn profile records recognition as one of Stanford GSB’s inaugural 100 Alumni Catalysts.
- **2025-09** — Stanford GSB published a profile describing his support for entrepreneurial exchanges between the UK and the Bay Area.

## Links

- Website: https://loopup.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hughes-a21161

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/michael-hughes
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22