Graduating for the University of Birmingham in 1986, Mark Atkins has been a teacher for 36 years. During this time he has held numerous school leadership positions and been a UK headmaster and principal of a number of international schools.

Mark has become something of a specialist in leading projects to establish international schools and, in his roles as Director of Education for a Dubai based education company and as Chief Operating Officer of a large UK international school group, is responsible for the establishment of British curriculum international schools in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Egypt and China.

His most recent post is as founding Principal of Durham School Dubai. Mark has held governor positions of a number of international schools and is Chairman of Governors of a specialist UK pupil referral unit (PRU) established to provide for behaviourally challenged pupils in a deprived area of north Kent.