Overview
Mark Watt is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ Johannesburg office and a member of the Leadership Development Practice. He specializes in leadership consulting and advisory work across all industry sectors, with a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. Mark works closely with private- and public-sector clients across Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, and other international markets, partnering with organizations ranging from start-ups and family-owned businesses to global multinationals.
Experience
Mark advises clients on CEO succession, senior executive development, top team effectiveness, and executive coaching, helping leaders strengthen performance and unlock the full potential of their organizations. He has designed and delivered a wide range of leadership and team interventions for senior talent and executive teams.
His work focuses on helping organizations sustain meaningful behavior change and connect leadership development to measurable business outcomes. Mark works closely with leaders, teams, and organizations to improve performance by building the agility needed to mobilize, execute, and transform effectively in complex environments.
Mark spent several years in the firm’s Sydney office as both an associate and senior associate in the CEO & Board of Directors and Social Impact practices, leading CEO, board, and senior education appointments for many of Australia and New Zealand’s leading public companies, universities, and nonprofit organizations.
Earlier in his career, Mark worked at Novo Nordisk, the global Danish pharmaceutical company, and Campbell Soup Company. His experience working within global, matrixed organizations gives him firsthand insight into the leadership challenges clients face as they navigate growth, transformation, and organizational complexity.
Mark’s longstanding involvement in high-performance and endurance sports has also shaped his perspective on resilience, discipline, sustained performance, and team dynamics, principles that continue to inform his work with senior leaders and executive teams.
Education
The University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, Degree in Human Microbiology and Human Genetics