Mark J Finlay has a number of business interests and his experience spans operation in UK, Europe and USA. He is CEO of Belfast based Barnabas Ventures, an economic development company providing people, practical support and property.

Barnabas has completed multiple award winning mixed use real estate and economic regeneration projects in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter, including social housing, cultural facilities for the NI War Memorial which houses the US memorial gift to the people of Northern Ireland.

Mark is current Chairman of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Property Group; a Director of the Ireland-U.S. Council created in 1963 in advance of President John F Kennedy’s visit to Ireland; a Trustee Director of The Presidents’ Club; former Chairman of the Inner South Belfast Neighbourhood Partnership; Board member of the South Belfast Partnership; Director of Habitat for Humanity; Member of the Cathedral Quarter Steering Committee; and was Coordinator of Rally Ireland a round of the World Rally Championship which took place at Northern Ireland’s Parliament Buildings, Stormont in November 2007.

In December 2004 Mark completed a 3-year Ministerial appointment as one of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners, which operate the Port of Belfast and are responsible for a significant proportion of the landmass of Belfast City.

Mark is a passionate supporter of the arts and creative industry and believes the blurring of boundaries between culture, creativity & technology holds huge opportunity for Belfast’s. In this regard, Mark was one of the leaders of the NI iPhone/Apple Initiative who represented Northern Ireland in Cupertino during the 2009 visit of First & Deputy First Minister to the USA.

Mark was included in the BMG 2008 Belfast Top50 and received the ‘headline award’ and received the Legacy to Belfast award at the 2008 Belfast City Awards.

Prior to creating Barnabas in 2004, for almost a decade Mark was a senior Executive of Scarborough Development Group (incoporating Teesland PLC) with responsibility for activities in Scotland, Northern Ireland, across a number of business areas including Public Private Partnership and significant innovative partnerships created with Councils and other public bodies. Mark was appointed Managing Director of SDG Property Holdings.

Of particular note Mark was Director of Rosyth Europarc the partnership created to bring about the redevelopment of the former Naval Dockyard in Scotland, an initiative personally backed by then Chancellor Gordon Brown MP. Mark was also Director of a major City Centre development partnership with Liverpool City Council that successfully delivered the development of the City’s new Courts Complex and Office Accommodation.

Useful Links: www.barnabasventures.com www.the-presidents-club.com www.midtown-center.com www.linkedin.com/in/markfinlay