Mark Hales

Mark is a highly experienced entrepreneur, angel and technology investor and is passionate about supporting young entrepreneurs.

Mark is the founder and chairman of Oxygen Accelerator, a programme based at Birmingham Science Park in Aston, providing a 13 week bootcamp for technology entrepreneurs.

He is also non-executive chairman of Launch48, which brings together people of all skill sets and experiences to create ideas, build products and launch their own start-up.

Other roles include being chairman of Optimo Care Group, while Mark was also a founding investor in accelerator programme Springboard, and is a former non-executive director of The Rabbit Hole.

Mark was chief executive of Claimar Care Group until 2009. When he joined in 1999, turnover was around £250,000 a year. During a 10 year period the business grew to be the fourth largest provider in its market with turnover of around £65m. It sold to Housing 21 in 2009 for an enterprise value of £40.5m.

Mark is passionate about arts and culture and is a trustee of Birmingham Hippodrome Development Trust.