Mark Pool Email and Phone Number

I work as a multi-disciplinary writer and creative consultant. In the marketing and communications world, I engaged in creative, copywriting and brand expression work for corporate clients. Collaborating with a close friend, I have expanded my experience from brand storytelling to writing and creating for the film and television worlds. We have had our original film and television concepts optioned and in development with production companies in Los Angeles and London. I also wrote two novels, one of which, Our Stone, was optioned and in development with a London-based film producer.

I spent nine years at AngloGold Ashanti, a leading global gold mining company, where I combined creative and strategic skills to spearhead marketing, branding and communications initiatives around the world. Working out of the head office in Johannesburg, I spent months of every year abroad, working closely with diverse teams in 13 countries on five continents. First, while working in the corporate affairs team, I led the rebranding and relaunching of the company in nine countries following AngloGold’s acquisition of Ashanti. After that, I joined the marketing team and embarked on groundbreaking and award-winning work as creative director of AuDITIONS, a global gold couture brand that I created to promote cutting-edge gold design in key gold markets. This project entailed the design and crafting of couture jewellery collections, fashion shoots, high-end events, and catwalk shows, all of which generated significant media value around the world. I was instrumental in the positioning and marketing of AngloGold Ashanti as the only mining company to champion gold in all its gleaming splendour – so much more than a mere commodity. I’m proud of the sheer range of brand creativity I was able to bring to a mining company, which truly set it apart from its peers.

I spent 9 months in London teaching English to foreign language speakers. This experience was enormously valuable for teaching me how best to communicate with non-native English speakers from all corners of the world, a skill I put to good use in my future global marketing role.

I worked as a writer and creative consultant in the worlds of television, film, advertising and corporate communications. Notable projects include reinventing and rebranding South Africa’s premier children’s TV channel, and story-lining and scriptwriting for a South African soap opera. During this period I also acted in several television commercials.