Born in Antigua, Sir Mark received his doctorate in geology in 1966 at Cambridge University and worked for Royal Dutch/Shell starting as an exploration geologist, living in Holland, Spain, Oman, Brunei, Australia, Nigeria, Turkey, Malaysia, and the UK.

Sir Mark is Chairman of the Innovative Vector Control Consortium for combating insect borne disease and was Chairman of the Global Business Coalition for HIV/AIDS from 2002-2011. He was a director of HSBC from 2001-2010 and of the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

Sir Mark serves on the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (2003-2011). He chaired task forces on renewable energy for the G8 and for business for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

Sir Mark was a Board Member of the Global Reporting Initiative from 2002-2007 and President of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine 1997-2008. He was a member of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Council for the Global Compact from 2001-2004 and is Vice-Chairman of the Global Compact Board and Chairman of the Global Compact Foundation from 2006.