Mark Thompson

Managing Partner

Mark began his career in engineering at British Shipbuilders. Following the decline of the industry, he joined Ryder in 1988, qualified as an architectural technician at Newcastle Polytechnic in 1990 and went on to study project management and business at Newcastle University before becoming a director of Ryder in 1994. In appreciation of his “influential and inspirational role in the industry” Mark was made an Honorary Fellow of the RIBA in 2003. As managing partner Mark has responsibility for the strategic development of Ryder. Mark is chair of blood cancer charity Bright Red, vice chair of NewcastleGateshead Initiative, board member of North East England LEP, member of the CBI North East Regional Council and the CBI National Construction Council. He also sits on the advisory board of Invest Newcastle. In November 2018 he was named North East England Business Executive of the Year in recognition of the success of Ryder and his contribution to the business community in the region. In 2019, he became a fellow of The Institution of Engineering and Technology. Mark is married to Dawn with children Hannah and Chris, enjoys socialising and watching sport with friends, particularly rugby, and is a fair weather cyclist and skier.