Mark served as Headteacher in a large primary school in Bedminster, South Bristol. Mark led the school from a position of serious weaknesses to being a consistently good school with many outstanding elements. Key to the success of the school was the relentless focus on creating and maintaining an empowering vision for all members of the school community. Alongside this, development of people was key and the school developed its own programme of coaching for all staff as well as being recognised as a Gold Level Investor in People.

Mark also led the development of the Malago Learning Partnership, a collaboration of 9 local schools in South Bristol. As Chair of the group he guided the development of a highly successful school improvement strategy, an in-depth joint practice development programme and a range of curriculum and assessment programmes. In 2012 he led his school through the academy conversion process. He also served for a number of years as a governor at a secondary school within the partnership. In addition to his work in school, Mark was very much involved in the development of the Local Leader of Education programme in Bristol through the National College, working in a coaching role with Headteachers to support them in the development and growth of leadership capacity; working with Headteachers to find solutions and ways forward within their own organisations.

Since September 2015, Mark has served as Chief Executive of the Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust.

Mark has a Business Degree from the University of Bath as well as a Masters with distinction in Educational Leadership and Management from the University of Worcester, the latter of which focused on the effective features of collaborative partnerships between schools. Mark has four children of his own and is very active in the work of his local church.