Mark Bate

Mark is an Associate in the Education Practice at Odgers Berndtson. He has worked on senior academic and functional roles in higher and further education, training providers and commercial educational organisations which often require a commercial search. His track record includes the appointment of Deputy Principal at Walsall College, Chief Finance Officer at Aston University, Deputy Principal at East Surrey College and various Pro Vice Chancellor roles at leading universities.

Prior to joining Odgers, Mark received legal training before working in finance at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, where he was responsible for running various reconciliations across the Department. He was part of the team that produced the Department's statutory annual accounts laid before the Permanent Secretary, and subsequently Parliament.

Mark read law at the University of Durham. He was elected President of Inter Alia, the respected law journal, which elicits scholarly contributions from high-profile figures; previous contributors include Cherie Blair QC and Nelson Mandela. Mark has also previously worked with Connexions, the young persons’ advisory service, developing and delivering pilot projects prior to its launch in 2000. He also volunteered as a member of the Young Person's Project, a Durham University outreach scheme that worked with gifted and talented secondary school pupils in low-income areas.