Mark is the former EY Global Chairman and CEO. During Mark’s tenure as EY Global Chairman and CEO, the global organization underwent tremendous change. EY grew to help more clients in more places tackle their toughest challenges than ever before. In 2019, there are more than 270,000 EY people in over 150 countries, and in the previous year 65,000 people joined EY.
Embracing the transformation needed for EY to be a leading professional services organization, Mark oversaw during his tenure an annual compound revenue growth rate of 8.5%. Additionally, under his leadership over 120 acquisitions have brought in new skills and capabilities, such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data. In 2019, EY has 2,000 software robots (bots) at work, with 1,300 of these for clients and 700 in use internally. There are over 20,000 data and analytics practitioners and more than 2,000 data scientists in EY. Best-in-class blockchain, cyber and digital solutions have been developed in EY.
Within the organization, Mark championed increasing diversity at all levels and creating a more inclusive culture. On the Global Executive, the highest governing body in EY, the percentage of women increased to more than 26% and it included more representation from the emerging market and early stage partners to bring in younger voices. Additionally, nearly 30% of the EY FY18 partner class consisted of women. He also focused on developing EY people, creating a best-in-class experience through innovative programs such as EY Badges (a skills accreditation program) and LEAD (its non-numerical based performance management system). Mark established the global organization’s purpose of Building a Better Working World during his tenure, as he guided the evolution of EY into a purpose-led organization.
Prior to being elected Chairman and CEO, he served as EY Global Vice Chair — Tax and Americas Vice Chair — Tax. Mark previously served as the Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury (Tax Policy) in the George W. Bush Administration. Mark was also appointed by President Clinton to serve on the US Social Security Administration Advisory Board, which advises the President and Congress on all aspects of the Social Security system.
Additionally, Mark has held other US government and policy positions, including Chief of Staff of President Clinton’s 1994 Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform; Chief Tax and Budget Counsel to US Senator John Danforth (R-Missouri); advisor to the National Commission on Economic Growth and Tax Reform; and Commissioner on the National Commission on Retirement Policy.
Mark was co-founder of Washington Counsel, P.C., a Washington, DC-based law and legislative advisory firm that merged into EY and now operates as Washington Council EY.
Mark holds a BA from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, an MBA and JD from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and a Master of Laws in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. Mark has an honorary doctorate from the Kogod School of Business at American University in Washington, DC.
How Mark is building a better working world
Mark played an active role in the World Economic Forum (WEF), serving as a member of its International Business Council and as a Global Agenda Steward for Economic Progress. He co-chaired the Russia Foreign Investment Advisory Council (FIAC) with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, and served as Chairman of the International Business Leaders Advisory Council (IBLAC) to the Mayor of Shanghai. He was on the Board of Directors of the Washington, DC-based US Business Roundtable and chaired its Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee. Mark currently serves on numerous international forums and organizations focused on inclusive growth and on creating long-term value.
In December 2012, he was presented the Achievement Award by the Anti-Defamation League. Cornell University honored Mark in September 2015 with the Robert S. Hatfield Fellowship in Economic Education Award, the highest honor Cornell can bestow on someone from the private sector. In 2015, he also received the Tax Council Policy Institute's Pillar of Excellence Award. The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University honored Mark with the Braden Award in 2017, given to a leader in the professional practice community who has made distinctive contributions to the knowledge and advancement of the discipline of accountancy.
