|
Place of birth: Columbia, MO
Education: BS in electrical engineering from Texas A & M University; MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley (where he was elected class graduation speaker)
Career history: Mark brings 16 years of experience in financial management and capital markets to Spark Networks. He held senior positions in finance and engineering at Chevron, and has served as CFO of Pay By Touch, Vectiv Corporation and MarketTools, Inc. In addition, he served as corporate treasurer at PeopleSoft, and assistant treasurer at Chiron, a leading biotechnology firm.
"As the CFO, I'm that guy who always has to say, "Wait a second!" But instead of seeing my concern for cost as limiting what people can do, I see it as an opportunity. I'm pretty good at explaining seemingly complex financial concepts in layman terms. I'm not a fan of financial secrets. I think it's important to educate employees about the financial underpinnings of their company, and to create a cost-conscious mentality that appreciates the larger vision of corporate success and how each individual job contributes to it.
"Whatever I do, my goal is to have fun and Spark Networks is no exception. I am very happy to work here with this great group of people. But I like fun outside of work, too. This can be the sight of my daughter's face in the morning or simply fresh air against my cheek on a crisp, clear day. I'm an outdoorsy type with tons of energy who loves sailing, skiing, snorkeling, and playing almost any sport. I'm big on trivia, too. (For example, I share the same birthday, May 6, as Willy Mays and George Clooney, and it's also the same day the four-minute mile was first broken.) I guess it's my love of people that attracts me to the romance business, but I also know a good financial opportunity when I see one." | 