Mark J Finlay, Co-Founder and Chairman

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Mark James Finlay, BSc (Est. Man.), FRICS, MAPM, is an international advisor, infrastructure and economic development specialist, and ambassador of reconciliation whose work spans port development, major infrastructure investment, post-conflict transformation, public-private partnerships, geopolitical engagement and strategic leadership.

Born and raised in Northern Ireland, Mark's formative years were shaped by the period known as "The Troubles" and by the extraordinary journey that led to the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent peace process. That experience forged a lifelong commitment to reconciliation, institution-building, ethical leadership, and the practical realities of creating stability and prosperity in divided societies.

A Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and Member of the Association for Project Management, Mark has more than three decades of international experience across real estate, infrastructure, ports, transportation, technology, economic development, and investment. Throughout his career he has been entrusted with responsibility for major capital programs, investment vehicles, and public-private partnerships valued in the billions of dollars.

For more than a decade Mark served as a senior executive within a significant international development and investment group responsible for the delivery of large-scale regeneration, industrial development, infrastructure, and public-private partnership projects across the United Kingdom and internationally.

Among the assets and projects under his stewardship was the redevelopment of the Port of Rosyth, Scotland. Mark played a leading role in guiding its transformation from the United Kingdom's former ultra-secure nuclear submarine facility into a thriving mixed-use business, logistics, and maritime hub. Today Rosyth remains strategically important as the home port of the Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, while also serving as a key node within Scotland's industrial and transportation infrastructure.

Recognizing his experience in infrastructure, governance, and maritime development, the UK Government appointed Mark as a Commissioner of the Port of Belfast, one of the busiest ports in the United Kingdom and owner of Europe’s largest waterfront regeneration project, Titanic Quarter. During his tenure he served on committees responsible for environmental stewardship, operational oversight, safety, governance, and long-term strategic planning.

His port and waterfront experience extends beyond Rosyth and Belfast and includes advisory engagements relating to port development, logistics, transportation infrastructure, waterfront regeneration, and public-private partnerships across Europe and the Americas. He has also engaged with port and infrastructure leaders in the Baltic region, including Estonia and Latvia, and has contributed to discussions regarding the strategic role of ports in strengthening supply-chain resilience, energy security, and transatlantic cooperation.

Following his public service in Belfast Harbour, Mark was elected Chairman of the Inner South Belfast Neighborhood Partnership and subsequently Chairman of South Belfast Partnership. These cross-government organizations were established as part of Northern Ireland's post-conflict transformation framework to improve social, economic, educational, and community outcomes within some of the most disadvantaged urban communities in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

This work deepened Mark's understanding of the relationship between economic opportunity, institutional trust, public accountability, and long-term peace. It also provided practical insight into many of the governance challenges that continue to affect developing and transitional economies, including corruption, organized criminal influence, weak institutions, and barriers to foreign direct investment.

Over the course of his career Mark has advised corporate boards, institutional investors, government agencies, foundations, family offices, and multinational corporations on matters including corporate governance, ethics, responsible leadership, stakeholder engagement, strategic communications, infrastructure investment, economic development, and geopolitical risk. His experience spans sectors including ports, transportation, aerospace, automotive, clean energy, life sciences, hospitality, advanced manufacturing, technology, tourism, and city regeneration.

In 2003 Mark was appointed to the Board of the Ireland-US Council in Dublin and later to its Board in New York. Established in preparation for President John F. Kennedy's historic visit to Ireland, the Council has long served as a bridge between political, business, and civic leaders in Ireland and the United States.

In 2011 he was commissioned by government to author Northern Ireland's Global Diaspora Strategy, examining how the region might better engage with its worldwide community, including the estimated fifty million people of Irish and Scots-Irish heritage throughout North America.

Building upon his work in reconciliation and public leadership, Mark became involved with the National Prayer Breakfast movement in Washington, D.C. in 2007. In 2014 he was invited by Congressman Robert Aderholt, then incoming Co-Chair of the National Prayer Breakfast, to assist with faith-based initiatives, international engagement, and relationship building among political leaders, parliamentarians, diplomats, business leaders, and civil society representatives.

Over more than a decade he has developed trusted relationships with Members of Congress and parliamentary leaders throughout Europe, including the Nordic-Baltic region, Central Europe, the Visegrád nations, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and beyond. His work has included engagement with parliamentarians, ministers, ambassadors, and civic leaders through a variety of bilateral, multilateral, and parliamentary networks, including initiatives connected to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and related transatlantic forums.

His experience in post-conflict transformation has extended beyond Northern Ireland to engagement in the Western Balkans, the Middle East, the South Caucasus, and other regions navigating questions of reconciliation, institution-building, religious freedom, economic development, and long-term stability.

Today Mark serves as Executive Director of Leaders and Followers Foundation, a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to leadership development, reconciliation, civic engagement, and strengthening relationships among leaders in government, business, faith, and civil society.

An accomplished speaker, moderator, strategist, and trusted advisor, Mark is frequently called upon to assist leaders navigating complex challenges at the intersection of economics, infrastructure, governance, diplomacy, ethics, and geopolitics.

His unique combination of experience in major infrastructure investment, port governance, economic development, post-conflict transformation, congressional engagement, and international relationship-building enables him to help leaders understand the times, assess emerging risks and opportunities, and chart practical paths forward in an increasingly complex world.