Chipping Campden School

My rugby journey started when I was 12 at
Stow on the Wold rugby club after playing my
younger years of sport in football. Quickly, I
fell in love with the sport and found out that I
was actually not too bad at it. My pathway into
Gloucester Rugby actually started at Chipping
Campden School as my old PE teacher, Mr
Graham, put me forward for a place in the
Gloucester Development Pathway Program.

I made my way through the pathway into the
U18 academy and after that season earned my
first professional contract.

Since then, I have represented England at the
U20s six nations where I helped the team to a
grand slam. Now fully in the Gloucester first
team my next step is to try and get into
England's main squad.

My love for art and creativity is where my design career started, and
since leaving Chipping Campden School, my joumey has been
varied and inspiring, shaped by design, visual storytelling, and
strategic marketing. I began by studying 3D Design at Warwickshire
College, where I developed foundational skills in product, graphic
design, and art history. I then went on to complete a BA (Hons) in
Product Design at Nottingham Trent University, where I was proud
to be a finalist in the RSA Student Design Awards. Since 2015, I've
worked as a Freelance Designer under Harris Design, collaborating
with a diverse range of clients to elevate brand presence through
graphic design, print, and social media marketing. In 2022, I took a
break from freelancing to join Whiteroom Agency as a Marketing &
Creative Executive, where I developed branded assets and interiors
for global names like Giant, CAT Footwear, and Ritual Coffee, while
also managing digital content and liaising directly with clients. After
this, I decided to return to freelancing full-time, as it offered the
flexibility to work with a broader range of clients and pursue
personal and professional development on my own terms. Most
recently, CotswoldXL magazine became a client of mine during my
retum to freelance work. I helped showcase their brand identity and
enhance their social media presence by producing both print and
digital content, developing creative layouts and marketing materials
that supported the magazine's overall strategy and visual direction.
Alongside this, I've been working with a wide range of businesses
across the Cotswolds, helping small independent brands increase
their visibility through tailored design and marketing solutions.
Alongside my professional experience. I'm currently advancing my
academic knowledge with an MA in Art History at the Open
University, further enriching my creative perspective.

Having always wanted to fly, Mark joined the RAF straight
after completing his A-levels. After finishing Officer Training
he spent the next 4 years undertaking flying training in
various aircraft all around the country. This led to a posting
to his first front-line squadron flying Sentinel, a surveillance
and reconnaissance aircraft based on a modified business
jet. Flying as part of a crew of 5 he operated in several
conflict zones and operations over the next 7 years,
including Afghanistan, Libya, Mali and Iraq, initially as a co-
pilot, then upgrading to captain in 2013.

Approaching the end of his Sentinel tour in 2015 Mark was
offered an extension of service to stay in the RAF and fly
Voyager, a large transport and air-to-air refuelling tanker
based on the Airbus A330. He quickly upgraded to become
an instructor and examiner, flying passengers and refuelling
all over the world. When one Voyager was converted to a
VIP configuration in 2019 he was offered the role of VIP
captain. He has flown HRH The Prince of Wales/HM The King
on State Visits including the Caribbean, Egypt, Jordan,
Rwanda, Germany and Kenya, as well as various Prime
Ministers and diplomats. Recently Mark was promoted to
become the Standards and Evaluation pilot, responsible for
the professional standards, assurance and examination of all