British-born Mark moved to Asia in 2003 and fast became one of the leading yacht brokers in the region. His track record of handling sale and purchase transactions for yachts over 50m includes one of the top 10 brokerage deals globally in 2018 and 2019. He joined Burgess in 2015 heading up the brokerage team in Asia and made Partner in 2022.
Mark began his yachting career in the early 2000s working as crew on sailing yachts, racing in the Caribbean. He spent a decade at Simpson Marine in Hong Kong before being headhunted by Jean-Marc Poullet, Chairman of Burgess Asia. Since then, he has honed his expertise advising clients on large semi-custom, custom, new build and production motor yacht projects in European shipyards.
'We differ from the other Burgess hubs around the world in that our focus is highly region specific, and the majority of what we do is transactions rather than charter,' he says. 'Asia accounts for around 7% of the global yachting market, so it’s relatively niche with a strong lean towards motor yachts.’
In the near decade since joining the company, Mark and his team have cornered the large yacht market in Asia, a move that is underpinned by his keen understanding of the region’s agent clientele and culture. As a biochemistry undergraduate with a master’s in technology, Mark prides himself on his data-driven take on the market, which is strengthened by more than 20 years spent living in the region and his tenacity to get a deal across the line.
'Our approach differs to other yachting markets around the world,’ he says. 'Most clients in the region are based in Asia but do their boating in the Mediterranean, so to be able to carry them across a large geographical divide with our knowledge, network and understanding of the local yachting scene is invaluable.’
Based in Hong Kong, though often operating out of Thailand due to market demand, a highlight of the role is the opportunity to visit the top European yards with clients to advise on the best fit for their needs. The 75.5m Oceanco ANASTASIA, 74.5m Amels LADY E and the 55m custom-built Amels PAPA are among his top sales to date.
