Mark Horgan B.Sc

 

 Mark is high energy Scot, who has dedicated his professional life to competing in International markets with significant success at driving profitable market share gains in the face of intense competition. He is the former European CEO of The Number UK Limited, the owner of the successful 118 118 information service. He held his position for 4 years. The Number has successful operations in the UK, France, Switzerland, Ireland and Austria.Until recently he retained an advisory position with The Number, focussed particularly around business growth in the converging telecoms/media market. Within this capacity Mark engages with policy markers dealing with legislation and regulation.

Mark cites all success as being delivered by exception teams of talented multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary, individuals all working towards a common goal. Successful leadership is clearly assessing the context in which a business is performing, defining an attractive end-game, developing a realistic plan to achieve that end-game and engaging the entire organisation, top to bottom, in moving towards the vision with clear time defined steps. While setting uncompromising standards, he is loyal and fair with his people. Several senior individuals have worked with Mark in more than one organisation.

Prior to joining The Number, Mark was an Executive Director on the PLC Board of MFI Group from 1999 to 2005, initially responsible for Customer Strategy and latterly responsible for the Retail chain in the UK and France. In this period MFI experienced, against the odds, a resurgence in brand stature, sales and profitability from a low point in 1999. Between 1999 and 2004 MFI Group was one of the fastest growing mid-cap retailers in Europe.

Prior to MFI, Mark held various Marketing posts in the UK and Europe in the fiercely competitive Confectionery and Snacks markets. Holding posts with Mars, Nestle and United Biscuits. Various consumer facing initiatives would not have happened without his intervention. To mention just a few, The Quality Street Octagonal Tin, McVities Cakes Bars, Celebrations, The Classic Penguin biscuit design and M&M's success across Europe. He was part of the team to set case law in the controversial trade mark dispute between McVities Penguin and Asda Puffin.

Outside of work, Mark is passionate about his wife and 2 children.  They recently acquired a Hungarian Viszla hound dog. His Son Benjamin is 13 and a National standard distance runner. His daughter Annabelle is 9 and a budding actress.

Mark is from a mining family in Scotland and he considers himself very fortunate to have been given many opportunities to develop. As a result he spends a fair degree of his spare time engaging with development projects for Children. He has sponsored the London Chamber Orchestra's movement to take music back into state schools. He has served on the NSPCC Helpline appeals board. He is President of Windsor Royals Youths football club.

He achieved a First class degree in Applied Physics at Strathclyde University in 1987; a degree he claims only had two potential uses; to build Nuclear power stations or nuclear bombs. The only application he asserts of his degree is, on a very rare occasion, he can be persuaded to tutor "hard case children", who have specific difficulty in learning Mathematics.

 

 

Mark Horgan - LookupPage

Man of Science
Interview in Marketing Press

Advisory Role 118118
Industry Coverage of Organisation change

MFI appointment
MFI re-structuring begins

Industry coverage of joining118118

MFI hires 1,500 jobs to deliver growth

Industry Coverage of MFI recovery

Travelex Executive Committee

Travelex Announces Mobile Services

Travelex announces link with Monetise.