Distinguished alumni
Mark Brown
BSc Economics 1984
Chief Executive Officer, Canaccord Genuity Limited
Mark was recognised for his contribution to the finance industry and investment banking strategy with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012.
Mark started his career as an Economist at the Confederation of British Industry and then Her Majesty’s Treasury. In 1987 he joined UBS/Phillips and Drew before becoming their UK Market Strategist. Whilst at UBS Mark was rated number one UK Strategist in the Extel Survey – an annual survey, the largest of its kind, that recognises the best brokerage houses and analysts throughout Europe and Asia.
After winning this coveted award, Mark went on to serve as Head of Research and then Chief Executive of ABN AMRO Equities (UK). In 2000 he was appointed Global Head of Research at HSBC Investment Bank where he pioneered a sector-relative stock recommendation system within a structured company research process, much of which was later adopted by other major City firms. It was for this work that Mark was described by the Financial Times in 2004 as “the man who shook up the world of investment bank research”.
In 2004 Mark was appointed Chief Executive of Arbuthnot Securities, a subsidiary of Arbuthnot Banking Group Plc, where he also sat on the board. Following the successful turnaround of Arbuthnot Securities, at the start of the financial crisis in October 2008 Mark became Chief Executive of Collins Stewart Hawkpoint Plc, a FTSE 250 independent international financial advisory group. Mark led the sale of Collins Stewart to Canaccord Financial Inc in March 2012 for over twice the market value at the time he was appointed. Mark remained as Chief Executive of the combined European business until the completion of the integration of the operations in September 2012.
Mark played First XV for the Loughborough Students' Rugby Union Football Club and then for Saracens. He was also a founding Trustee of the Saracens Foundation, a charity whose mission is to inspire communities and change lives through the power of sport. Mark has also raised over £100,000 for the Wooden Spoon Society (WSS), the charity of the British and Irish Rugby Unions supporting mentally and physically disadvantaged children through investment in infrastructure. In 2000 and 2002 he led teams that won the City section of the WSS Four Peaks Challenge.