After reading Materials Science and Physics at the University of Leeds, Mark joined Advanced Ceramics Limited as Production Manager, a role with a heavy emphasis on Research and Development in the fields of piezoelectrics, superconductivity, ultrahard materials for ballistic protection, solid oxide fuel cells and the development of novel glass-ceramic materials.

As a result of a spin-off project in collaboration with the Department of Materials Science, University of Cambridge,  he became a co-founder and director of EMC in 2001 and has since co-authored a number of international patents  and technical publications predominantly in the field of solid electrolyte based sensors with a focus on their application within industry.