Mark joined the developer team at NB in early 2024 and is already working on various exciting projects. After various customer-facing roles, Mark changed careers in 2023 and studied coding with CodeClan in Glasgow.
He brings a passion backed by knowledge to the team, and we're excited to have him at NB. We asked Mark a couple of questions to get to know him better...
Tell us a surprising fact about yourself…
I’m allergic to some foods in the legume family: chickpeas, lentils, green peas, peanuts. It’s not so severe that I have to walk around in a bubble suit, but it did send me to hospital a couple of times as a child.
What are your top three life highlights…
The last few years have been some of the best: moving with my partner to Shetland, the birth of my son in 2022, and a successful career change culminating in a job with NB Communication.
Have you ever been told you look like a celebrity?
Ben Whishaw, Andy Murray and Andrew Garfield are the three I get most frequently.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
I got swept up in a yo-yo craze when I was in primary school and persuaded my dad to buy me a £40 yo-yo from Harrods during a trip to London. Harrods had hired a yo-yo professional to demonstrate some tricks. I wanted to be that guy.
What are your most overused words or phrases?
My son recently discovered that it’s fun to break rules, so I’m saying “No!” an awful lot, much to his amusement.
What is the favourite aspect of your job?
Working with a great team of highly experienced, knowledgeable, passionate and friendly people.
What is the most important personal attribute that you bring to your job?
I’m a good learner and listener because I’m not arrogant, and I think this is really important in this role. The arrogant person can’t be taught because they can’t admit to not knowing something.
What tech innovation has made the most impact on your life?
The internet, and then the mobile phone – without doubt. I do think they’ve “rewired our brains.” One way to find out the impact they’ve had is to leave your phone at home when you go out and notice how uncomfortable you feel without it.
What would you name your boat if you had one, and why?
I tend not to name inanimate objects, but someone recently said my car looked like a Linda, and I couldn’t help but agree with them. So if I had to name my boat, it might be something mundane like Iain – if it looked like an Iain.
How would you convince someone to visit the place you love the most?
Shetland is the place I love the most, and so far, it’s been easy to convince people to come. When folk ask why I love it here, I usually talk about the clean air, the beaches, being able to walk for hours, in some parts, without bumping into anyone – and the wide spaces and views you can’t really get in a city (and which make a city feel claustrophobic by comparison).
If a friend came to visit Shetland, what would you take them to see?
I have family visiting this month, and these are the places on our itinerary: Unst, Culswick Broch, a walk along the Ness of Trebister or Ness of Sound – with a stop at the burnt mound. A trip to Mousa. St Ninian’s Isle – obviously. The Ness of Burgi (best during high seas). The Dowry for food.