Mark Pearce
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Mark is an experienced communications and public affairs professional, with simultaneous extensive knowledge of the heritage railway sector. This role gives Mark the ideal opportunity to combine his skillsets in a field that he is passionate about.His training as a journalist has never left him, and has contributed to excellent research and analytical skills that he uses on a daily basis. His first post-graduation role was at leading industry title Steam Railway Magazine and he maintains a love for writing about heritage rail.Mark has a long history of working successfully with diverse stakeholders, including a spell as Destination Management Officer for a city in north east England and as Communications Officer in a number of local government organisations. While working in local government he dealt with communications around a variety of complex and controversial issues, lead responses to major incidents, and even managed to get a High Speed Train named.Mark is responsible for all public affairs and communications activity at the HRA. His work ranges from dealing with government consultations of interest to the sector, to managing the HRA website and editing members magazine HRA News. He also shares his wealth of media relations expertise with members whenever advice is required.His paid experience is mirrored by two-decades of experience within the heritage railway sector. A very-hands on preservation career means Mark is as comfortable working on a locomotive footplate as he is restoring 100-year-old carriages or laying track. He has held a number of management and director level roles in the sector from his teenage years onwards.Mark has a deep understanding of the many facets of heritage rail. Whether it’s the intricacies of efficiently firing a steam locomotive, a detailed knowledge of the regulatory environment, or understanding the challenges of organising large events.
