Business. Marketing. Sales
Based: George

About 45 years ago, he was young, driven, and boasting a full head of hair. Mark was fortunate to get in at Clicks and spent the next 5 years there as the Pretoria regional manager running 4 stores. What followed then were short spells such as Drake International and Sanlam Life Insurance.

In May 1986 Mark joined SPAR as a Retail Operations Manager and went on to become the Personal Care buyer. Mark says “I guess I must have made some waves in that role because Checkers poached me shortly after as their National Personal Care Buyer” . After which SPAR poached me back again! This time, Mark decided to pledge my long-term loyalty to the SPAR group.

Little did I know then that this relationship would see me all the way through to my retirement.

1994, the new South Africa dawned, change was in the air, and Mark was promoted to Marketing Director of SPAR North Rand. After 7 years in that role, he traded North for South when he took over the Marketing Director role at the group’s biggest division, South Rand.

Then a shift happened in 2011 that would ultimately define his legacy within the group. SPAR launched a fledgling chain of liquor stores in 2002. Bright, bold, fun and safe, TOPS! reinvented the liquor store concept as a destination of discovery. A place Where Great Stories Start. Mark became the National Liquor Executive for SPAR SA and ran the TOPS SPAR Operation until my retirement in September 2024.

Today TOPS at SPAR is the market leader in liquor retail in Southern Africa with 917 stores currently. It’s fair to say then that Mark had poured his passion and energy into TOPS and he is extremely proud of what they have achieved.  Through it all he had developed a deeper understanding of the retail liquor market; knowledge that he can now pass onto others.  At his core he consider himself an innovative marketer and a relationship specialist. Mark is skilled in negotiations at all levels and have a record of developing entrepreneurs.  Humble brag here but Mark is also regarded as something of a motivator and public speaker.

Let’s hope you all agree!