About Mark

Mark designs  and delivers business growth for companies via a hands-on, collaborative approach. He is passionate about making a real difference through strategic planning, marketing, and pricing projects for companies in any industry.

He is currently leading strategic planning and pricing efforts at Universal Weather and Aviation, a global leader in support products and services for business jet operators.  

Mark’s zeal for revenue maximization was ignited when he was managing revenue strategies worldwide for Starwood Hotels and Resorts (900 properties). One of Mark’s foci at Starwood was pricing strategies, where he oversaw pricing for $6.5b of annual revenue. He designed and deployed new pricing approaches and systems to increase revenue; one segment, for example, experienced a 25% increase in revenue ($50m per year).

Mark’s entrepreneurial muscles have been developed through founding VGC Advisors, a consulting firm specializing in growth strategies, and helping a founding team design and prepare for the launch of an ecommerce startup.

An acute focus on delivery of results became an ingrained habit for Mark while helping private equity firms improve their portfolio companies. He has advised companies in multiple industries from start-ups to middle market.

Within Macquarie’s (ASX:MQG) private equity funds, he led the creation and implementation of an online marketing strategy for a portfolio company. As a result, e-commerce revenue increase over 100% and the new website was awarded the 2009 Best Transportation Website by the Web Marketing Association.

With Rein Capital, Mark played an active, hands-on role building early-stage companies. In one situation, he helped revive a software start-up on the verge of bankruptcy by redefining the business strategy, and particularly the product portfolio. Cisco acquired the company for $125m two years later.

Mark became addicted to starting with a strategic vision while at Accenture, specializing in strategy. He provided strategic advice to the leadership at Fortune 500 companies in financial services and telecommunications. During one engagement, he led a project to define a go-to-market channel strategy for a mobile communications provider.

Mark’s formal education provides a foundation of strategic, creative, and analytical skills. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering (Valedictorian and First Class Honors) from the University of New South Wales, Australia and an MBA (Beta Gamma Sigma) from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.

Mark lives in New Jersey, United States. When he is not working, he is having fun with his amazing wife and three full-of-life children.