Image of Dr Mark Townley

BSc in Zoology and Oceanography, Class of 1977.

Project management consultant and passionate oceanographer.

After studying for a Joint Honours BSc in Zoology and Oceanography I undertook postgraduate research funded by NERC into the effects of pollutants upon the development of marine fish in the Bristol Channel being awarded my PhD in 1984.

By 1984 I had joined the Royal Navy as a Seaman Officer having served for 8 years. Upon completion of my commission in the late 1980s and remaining in the Royal Naval Reserve, I entered industry as an Operational Analyst and over the next 17 years managed several large naval projects both in the UK and abroad most notably a three year’s stint in Australia achieving Operations and Programme Director level.

Between 2005 and the present day I have been part of some of the largest and complex UK infrastructure projects including the UKHO digital chart upgrade, Skynet 5 Satellite, Olympics 2012, Crossrail, HS2 and Hinkley Point C programmes as a senior programme lead.

More recently I have provided Project and Programme Management consultancy to a wide range of companies e.g., Rolls Royce, Leonardo Helicopters and Babcock International via my families’ limited company EVMT ProgRess Limited.

I am a Fellow of the Association for Project Management (APM) holding Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) status with that organisation and sit on the ChPP Review Panel.

As part of my commitment to develop Project Management professionals I mentor students at Exeter and Solent Universities and support local Exeter Schools. Through EVMT I also employ interns and sponsor individuals to achieve APM qualifications. EVMT have also sponsored a Mental Health initiative with the Community First charity in Hampshire and AAI Employability a Scotland based not-for-profit organisation.

Recently EVMT ProgRess has agreed to sponsor a research project supporting the Sea Grass charity initiative under the leadership of Dr Richard Unsworth, with a view to combine my Project and Programme Management experience with commitment to support marine conservation and understanding climate change issues.

I am married to Heather who is a Director of EVMT ProgRess and have two daughters – Kate who is an Engineering Manager and key worker at Kings College London and Emma who is the Social Media Co-ordinator at Solent University.