He was finance director and company secretary of Workspace Group plc for 12 years. Prior to this, he spent 17 years with John Laing, where he was both joint managing director of John Laing Developments Limited and group investment director. Following this, Mark joined the Ministry of Defence for a short period to assist in the privatisation of its married quarters' estate. He qualified as an accountant in 1972, being admitted as a Fellow of the ICAEW in 1975.