Mark Relf

Mark’s leadership journey began in the Royal Air Force, where he served as an Air Engineering Officer and developed a grounded understanding of what leadership really looks like under pressure. After leaving the RAF, he built a career across engineering, project management and senior leadership roles, eventually spending a significant part of his career at BAE Systems. There, he led major programmes in both the UK and the Middle East, including playing a role in bringing the first Eurofighter Typhoon to Saudi Arabia.

Since 2007, Mark has worked extensively across the Middle East and has lived in Saudi Arabia since 2016. During that time, he has embedded himself in the local culture and supported organisations through periods of significant change. He has held senior leadership roles with the Public Investment Fund, where he helped shape the development of young Saudi talent. One of his proudest achievements is supporting and mentoring more than 30 Saudi engineers who have gone on to become CEOs, senior directors and technical leaders, contributing directly to the growth of the aerospace ecosystem in the Kingdom.

Mark joined Inspirational Group with a clear sense of purpose. He is passionate about passing on the baton to the next generation of leaders and sees leadership development as both a responsibility and a privilege. As an Associate Consultant, he brings strategic insight, deep regional experience and a strong values base to his work with clients. He has been instrumental in building a credible sales pipeline for IG in the Middle East and supporting the delivery of impactful programmes across the region.

Mark is a lifelong learner and an active contributor to the leadership community. He is the author of Authentic Project Leadership: Bottling the Magic and regularly speaks at international conferences and events. His work focuses on authentic leadership, strategic visualisation, critical and systematic thinking, and the use of gamification to make learning both engaging and practical.

Outside of work, Mark enjoys board gaming, writing and reading, scuba diving and spending time with his cats. He describes himself as an “otrovert” and is inspired by people who give selflessly in pursuit of a greater good. His favourite quote is also his guiding principle:

“We all deserve to work for great leaders.”

When asked why he enjoys working at IG, Mark talks about the people and the impact. He values the passion colleagues bring to their work and the difference IG makes, one engagement at a time. He particularly enjoys working with Johanne, whose challenge and perspective he respects, and he is proud of the feedback received from the first programme delivered with MBRCLD.