Mark is a mining engineer by training having started his career in deep underground coal mining in
Australia in 1976. In his +47 years of experience, he has had line and support responsibilities across all
forms of mining, processing, and product marketing, having worked across 6 continents, 20 countries and
with more than 30 minerals and metals. He is recognized as a major industry leader and innovator with a
track record for delivery of improvements across all facets of business performance.
Mark retired from his role as the Chief Executive Officer (CE) of Anglo American (AA) in April 2022
after more than 9 years and delivering the significant restructuring and revitalisation across all facets of
its global mining business. In his period of tenure, AA delivered industry leading capital and shareholder
returns underpinned by a doubling of employee productivity, with associated material cost reductions and
improvements in capital returns. At the same time AA moved from lagging industry performance in
sustainability and innovation to being an acknowledged leader in value creation through new and
progressive social, technical, and commercial transformations.
Prior to his AA position he was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for AngloGold Ashanti. Mark was
responsible for the recovery and turnaround of the business after successfully dealing with the industry’s
most significant “out of the money” gold hedge book. Mark has also held senior executive positions with
the Inco and Vale, the Normandy Group, Sons of Gwalia, Western Mining Corporation, Kalgoorlie
Consolidated Gold Mines and CRA (Rio Tinto). Mark was also a past President of the International
Council for Mining and Metals(ICMM) and the South African Chamber of Mines (now Minerals Council).
Consistent with his business transformational reputation, Mark has been honoured by both the Australian
and South African mining industries, receiving the AusIMM Industry Award and the SAIMM Brigadier
Stokes Awards, the peak industry awards for service to the industry in both countries. He has been
recognised by Mines and Metals as the leading Industry CEO in 2019 and in 2022 was awarded their
Lifetime Achievement Award. In the areas of sustainability and responsible social development, he has
been recognised by the Thomas Edison Global Innovation Awards for Collaborative Change through the
Development Partner Institute (DPI), he was the “Technoserve 50th Anniversary Honouree” – in honour
of “extraordinary leadership in creating sustainable business solutions to end poverty around the world”
and more recently as Europe’s most sustainable mining leader. Mark was recognised for his contribution
to global mining in the UK in the 2024 King’s New Year Honours list, being awarded a CBE
(Commander British Empire) for his contribution to “Global Mining Investment”.
Mark is currently a Non-Executive Director of TotalEnergies based in Paris, and he is the Senior
Independent Director for Laing O’Rourke based in the UK. On 1 July 2023 he was appointed Chair of
Vale Base Metals. He is also involved with numerous NGOs covering global nutrition for women and
children, ethical and sustainable business practices, and development of young and emerging business
executives.