Financial services veteran Mark Porter has been appointed as the new Chair of the Big Issue Group’s social investment arm, Big Issue Invest (BII), as it looks to build stronger relationships with the wider investment community.
Porter has had a 35+ year career in financial services, specifically in investment management, banking, investor & fund services, and trust and corporate services. He has held a number of executive and board positions within institutional and private equity backed businesses, including at UBS, MUFG and more recently Equiom Group. At UBS, Mark had a long career in Finance where he held the position of European Chief Financial Officer, based in Zurich.
For most of the last 15+ years, Porter has been the CEO of a number of global, institutional scale financial services businesses. He has now returned to a small number of advisory and board roles across multiple sectors.
Over recent years, he has supported a number of community-based projects and continues to have a keen interest in the critical role of the third sector and commercially oriented social impact businesses in solving social and environmental challenges. He is a qualified accountant and holds a degree in Forensic Psychology.
Porter said: “It is an honour and a privilege to be asked to join the Board of Big Issue Invest. The Big Issue Group has so many talented people delivering critical social impact in such a diverse and innovative set of ways. I hope to able to play some small part in that journey, helping the BII CEO Danyal Sattar and his executive team in building on a great platform for a sustained period of growth, enabling the business to deliver ever greater impact.”
Danyal Sattar, CEO of BII, commented: “There is ever more need to provide critical investments in social enterprises which address social inequality and poverty. That impact can only be delivered through forging deeper relationships with the investment community. Mark’s appointment will help us address this important challenge.
“We have exceptional Board and Committee members here at Big Issue Invest and, as well as their more conventional governance role, they play an invaluable function in understanding and holding our impact mission and providing continuity of knowledge over the years. Mark’s skills and experience are a great complement to mine and I look forward to working him over the coming years.”
Warren Taylor, BII’s departing Chair, said: “After over 12 years as a member of BII’s board, over seven of which as Chair, it is time to give someone else the honour of helping lead this fantastic organisation. We have achieved many good things over these years, but, as is clear, the need for BII’s work is now greater than ever. I welcome Mark’s appointment and consider him to be absolutely the right person to help take the company forward to even more growth and success in delivering on the Big Issue Group’s mission.”