Prior to joining NWQ in 2001, Mark held the position of Director and Portfolio Manager with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers where he managed value-oriented institutional portfolios for three years. Previous to this, he spent seven years at Trust Company of the West as a Senior Vice President and Analyst, covering primarily technology companies. Previously, he was Vice President at Hanifen Imhoff Inc., where he served as the firm's Technology Analyst. Before entering the investment business, Mark held positions in the computer design field with NCR and Gould Electronics.

Mark earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from California State University, Chico. He received his Master of Science degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his M.B.A. from the University of San Diego.