Mark took up the substantive role of Chief Executive and Chief Fire Officer of
Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority in January 2010. Amongst other duties Mark is responsible for working in a political environment, and providing strategic management to the Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service and giving inspiration and leadership to its staff. To ensure that the Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service is, at all times, best placed to:
save and protect life; protect property from fire and the effects of fire, developing and implementing new approaches in passive fire protection and fire safety engineering; render humanitarian services; develop and implement programmes to reduce the incidence of fire; and assist in safeguarding
the environment as well as making efficient, effective and economic arrangements to facilitate the discharge of each of the Fire Authority’s duties contained in the Fire & Rescue Services Act 2004, including crossborder
arrangements for receiving or giving assistance in accordance with the Act.

During his first 10 months with Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service,
Mark has established a cohesive and supportive senior management team, and is developing close working relationships with local partners, internal audit and external partners, MPs and MEPs. From mid 2005, Mark served as Deputy Chief Fire Officer (and, subsequently, Deputy Chief Executive from December 2006). His primary responsibilities were to undertake
the role of Chief Fire Officer/ Chief Executive in the absence of same. Typically, this entailed, advising the Chairman at Regional Management Board and other meetings, leading Fire Authority meetings, hosting visitors such as politicians and auditors, and giving strategic steerage to the Directors of the service. Previously having chaired an international Firefighters commission, Mark remains influential and active in global fire policy through his membership of an international team of experts and his close personal
network of senior international figures.