Board of Directors
Experience, relevant skills and contributions to the board:
Mark has held several senior roles in creative and innovative communication businesses. He began his career as a chartered accountant at Touche Ross & Co. (Deloitte). He then spent 30 years at Chime Communications, which was acquired by Providence Private Equity in 2015.
Mark is currently Non-Executive Chairman of Holiday Extras, a market leader in the provision of online ancillary travel services, where he has been Chairman for 5 years and Non- Executive Director for 18. He is also Chairman of Merit Group Plc (Previously The Dods Group), an AIM-listed intelligence, media, training and events company, operating in over 50 countries. Mark is also Chairman and Non-Executive Director of
The Unlimited marketing Group a private equity-owned marketing services group and Non-Executive Chairman of Cognito Europe Limited having been appointed in April this year. They are a private consultancy specialising in marketing for Finance, Technology and Professional Services. Mark is also a Non-Executive Chairman of Mokum Communications, a private marketing services group.
External appointments:
Non-Executive Chairman of Holiday Extras, Non-Executive Chairman of Merit Group, Senior Adviser to the Sanctuary Counsel, Chairman of the Employee Ownership Trust at BritianThinks, Chairman and Non-Executive Director at Unlimited Group and Non-Executive Chairman of Cognito Europe Limited, Non-Executive Chairman of Mokum Communications.
Experience, relevant skills and contributions to the board:
Between 2011 and 2016, Björn led EY's UK Government and Public Sector team operating across central government, local government, health and infrastructure. The business doubled in size over five years and was EY UK's largest market segment. In this role, he gained experience of scaled consultancy as well as an awareness of the limitations of traditional consultancy working. Since then, Björn has concentrated on building a number of private businesses, including Dx3 where, as Founding Partner, he has focused on building integrated, full-spectrum digital transformation businesses.
Connect and learn more about Björn on LinkedIn
Experience, relevant skills and contributions to the board:
Neal is a serial tech entrepreneur having co-founded four companies that exited successfully with a combined value of £117m. He co-founded his first company at the age of 21 and, under the brand name of Jungle.com, that company went on to be sold to GUS for £37m. In 1996 he co-founded Xplora and sold it to Nasdaq-listed USWeb in 1998.
Neal then co-founded Attenda, a managed services consultancy that went on to be sold for £72m; one part to Telecity Plc and the other to Darwin Private Equity. In 2006 he founded QuickStart Global, an offshore IT service provider, which grew rapidly, and in 2010 was listed in the Sunday Times Tech-Track 100 at number 3, his second company in that list with Attenda having been listed at number 2 in 2001.
Experience, relevant skills and contributions to the board:
Chris qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG before spending 9 years overseas in a variety of financial roles with PepsiCo Inc. In 1989 when he was CFO for the Central Europe Beverages division, he was recruited by WPP to be part of their small central team.
Chris retired from his role as WPP’s Deputy Group Finance Director in 2016, having been involved in all aspects of operations, investor relations and the many acquisitions that built that group. Chris also represented WPP on the overseas boards of a number of companies both in the UK and overseas.
Since his retirement, Chris has taken on a number of Non-Executive Director roles, including TPXimpact Chris is also a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee at Unlimited Marketing Group, a private equity-owned marketing services group.
External appointments:
Non-Executive Director at Unlimited Group
Committee membership:
Chairman of the Audit, Risk and AIM Rules and Compliance Committee
Experience, relevant skills and contributions to the board:
Isabel is the founder of Profit with Purpose, and co-founder of ESG-Experts, both provide consultancy to companies on fulfilling their social and environmental objectives and related legal requirements. She is an Industry Careers Advisor for MBA students at the Saïd Business School, Oxford University, and sits on the Board of Big Give, the UK’s largest match-funding charity.
In 2002 Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com, hired Isabel to establish the Salesforce Foundation internationally (now Salesforce.org). For 12 years she grew and led an international team delivering technology, grants and programmes in 110 countries, as well as generating annual revenue of $12m to fund the work.
Isabel worked at Oxfam and Amnesty International for 12 years prior to joining Salesforce.
External appointments:
Trustee of Big Give, Fellow of the RSA,
Committee membership:
Chair of the ESG Committee and Remuneration Committee
Experience, relevant skills and contributions to the board:
Rachel has extensive experience in digital leadership and transformation, having held several senior positions in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, including as a CEO. She was the first Chief Digital Officer at the UK Department of Health where she developed its first digital strategy. She is now a business advisor, executive coach and mentor and runs her own consultancy providing advice and coaching on strategy, leadership and digital transformation to executives and Boards. She is also a lecturer and start-up mentor for PUBLIC’s Gov Start programme and Percy Hobart Fellowship
Rachel also brings significant additional advisory experience to the Board. She is an independent Governor of Birkbeck College, University of London, where she established and chairs its first Digital Committee, a member of the Board of the Campaign for Social Science, part of the Academy of Social Sciences, and a member of the Advisory Board of Digital Health.London. For ten years she was on the Board of Digital Leaders of which she is a former Chair. She has been featured in Computer Weekly’s list of Most Influential Women in IT since 2016.
External appointments:
Partner at Strengths Unleashed, Faculty Member at the Public School of Technology, Director of Neaman Consulting, Governor of Birkbeck College University of London, Non-Executive Board Member at the Academy of Social Science, Advisory Board Member of DigitalHealth.London, Fellow of the RSA.
Committee membership:
Member of the ESG Committee
