Mark Steeves

Mark started his career as an actor. Over the following thirty years, Mark has worked in the private sector; owned his own company and successfully sold it; worked for a publicly owned oil and gas company; and latterly, was head of business units in the insurance broking subsidiary of one of the biggest multinational corporations in the world. He has worked around the world, establishing businesses in the UK, the USA, as well as subsidiary operations in emerging markets. He has extensive experience of the FSU, MENA, and, especially, of sub Saharan Africa.

He started as a shipbroker, at Stewart Offshore Services, specialising in the supply boats that service offshore oil & gas operations. He then became a partner in Halyard Offshore, a marine consultancy and ship management company, which he and his business partner sold to publicly listed Aminex plc. At Aminex, he managed the service division, which bought and developed a range of oilfield service company operations.

In 2002 he joined HSBC Insurance Brokers as a Business Development Director in their Energy Practice; later he became Head of Energy, and then Head of Africa, before the company was sold by HSBC in 2010.

Mark has renewed interest in the arts and the media. He is a non-executive director of Phoenix Africa Development Co Ltd, a director of the Business Council for Africa and a mentor for the Women-Led Business Programme run by Femmes Africa Solidarité and IE Business School. He also sits on the Development andFundraising Committee of the Geological Society. He is married and has three children.