Fellow Interview With Mark Evans

We are delighted to bring you a Fellow interview with Mark Evans, who was honoured as a Honorary Fellow of The Marketing Society 2023.

What’s your golden rule - at work and in life?

To strive for success AND significance simultaneously. It's at the intersection of these two things where abundant energy, creativity and resourcefulness lies in both work and life.

Who has been your biggest influence?

My wife. We met at university and have been together for over 30 years. Very specifically her career has been in Nursing and this has helped me to keep a sense of perspective in my career. Thankfully whenever she has asked me if anyone had died on my shift at work the answer has always been "no". 

What is your most hated business expression?

So many to choose from... It's probably "double-click" ("if I double-click on that point"). In my head that's something you do digitally rather than in a conversation.

What’s the smartest business idea you’ve ever had?

Probably the Sprintathon which I created in 2016. This entails hacking the marathon into 422 100m sprints. It hasn't yielded me a penny. However, it has raised £900k so far for Stand Up To Cancer towards beating cancer faster, and give about 4,000 people bragging rights to say that they have run (a small part of) a sub 2 hour marathon.

Which leader do you admire most and why?

I've interviewed 138 amazing people on The Places We'll Go Show podcast with my co-host Ritchie Mehta, so again I'm slightly spoilt for choice. But I'm going to go for Paul Polman for his visionary perspectives and his determination to make a difference in the world.

What keeps you up at night as a marketing leader?

The lack of trust in Marketing in the C-suite. An HBR survey in 2017 80% of CEOs do not trust or aren't impressed by their CMO. This often puts Marketing on the backfoot and impacts their impact and influence in terms of driving towards a truly customer centric organisation. That's why when I'm working as a CMO coach there is often a focus with clients on building credibility and momentum with the executive and board.

Why is being part of the Marketing Society important for your career?

The Marketing Society provides an unrivalled global network of like-minded people. I love the events for the inspiration and nourishment that they provide and in general it's a go-to for people looking to accelerate their marketing career

Tell us something that isn't on your CV

I was extremely fortunate to meet Nelson Mandela at Buckingham Palace on 10th July 1996. Several universities conferred an honorary degree on him in recognition of his leadership in fighting apartheid. Each university sent a delegation to the ceremony and as one of the Student Union sabbaticals at the time I got to go. 

Published on 24 January 2024