Born and raised in Dublin city, Mark caught the explorer’s bug as early as eight years old when he made his first trip abroad without his parents - a cub scout's trip to the Isle of Man! While studying business with a Master’s degree in Finance, Mark’s university years took him to Italy and the Netherlands where he soon realised his passion for working with people from different cultures. After graduation, he joined HSBC which gave him the opportunity to work abroad in places such as Malaysia, Canada and Poland before coming back to Ireland in a role managing corporate lending relationships. However, a recent vacation to Sierra Leone opened his eyes to microfinance and its importance as a tool for development. Mark has been eager to learn more ever since and is really looking forward to working with Kiva in Armenia.