If Steve is the hands of RockVine, Mark is the scaffolding. He joined in October 2024 as investor and strategic partner, and his brief was — and still is — pretty simple: make sure the business behind the workshop is as good as the work that comes out of it.
Three decades of the unglamorous stuff
Mark's career before RockVine was, by his own admission, not remotely about furniture. He spent 30+ years in regulated gaming, fintech, compliance-led digital commerce and public service. The kind of stuff that doesn't make a pretty photograph but absolutely determines whether a business survives its first few years.
That background is exactly why he and Steve make such a good pair. Steve leads the creative direction and the craft. Mark handles the commercial architecture — finance, forecasting, compliance, supplier strategy, customer systems, the CRM, the website, the lot.
A long partnership
Mark and Steve's working relationship goes back many years before RockVine even existed. They've known each other long enough to finish each other's sentences, argue about things properly, and trust each other to handle the parts the other one couldn't stand doing. That trust is why the business works the way it does — nobody's tiptoeing around anybody.
More than just RockVine
Mark also serves as an elected councillor in Scotland and sits on the boards of several companies and charitable organisations. He splits his time between workshop visits, Zoom calls, strategy sessions, and whatever fire's currently nearest. If you've sent us an enquiry, had a quick quote come back within 24 hours, or used our online configurator — chances are Mark's fingerprints are on that process somewhere.
Why governance matters (even for a workshop)
One of Mark's quiet missions is making sure RockVine operates with proper governance structures — financial transparency, regulatory compliance, clear supplier frameworks. It sounds dull. It is, a little. But it's what lets Steve focus on the actual craft without worrying about whether invoices are being paid or suppliers are being looked after.
It's also what positions RockVine as a grown-up British manufacturing brand rather than a two-person operation just keeping its head above water.
Get in touch
If you've got a commercial enquiry, a partnership idea, or just want to talk through whether RockVine's the right fit for your project, Mark's the one who'll pick up the other end.
Start a conversation → or browse our commercial capabilities.
