People, planet, progress
Mark Paterson works at the nexus of system change, leadership and foresight, empowering people and organisations to shape sustainable futures.
AgriFutures Australia
Growing the future of Australian coffee
Mark facilitated the co-design of the Australian coffee industry’s first research program, a collaboration between scientists and industry, based on the sector’s RD&E Plan 2025-2030, in 2025.
Fish-LIGHT
Gearing up for sustainable inshore fisheries
Mark leads communications for research investigating the interactions between low-impact commercial fishing gears and protected marine species in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
Exploring the futures capability of leaders
Mark is co-investigator of a 2025 study of how leaders and organisations in Australia engage with uncertainty, align strategy with values and build future-facing capabilities in their organisations.
Hidden in Plain Sight
Dairy Australia
Nutritious food for a healthier world
For over a decade, Mark worked as a facilitator and strategist for the design of the first sustainability framework in Australian agriculture, the globally recognised, award-winning Australian Dairy Sustainability Framework
The University of Queensland
Meeting the challenge of global change
Mark was Communications Director at the Global Change Institute, a multi-disciplinary science hub for finding solutions to meet the challenges presented by climate change, population growth and technological innovation.
The World Bank
Empowering communities to shape their future
Mark was team leader for communications and behaviour change on the Capturing Coral Reef & Related Ecosystem Services technical support project, working with coastal communities, businesses and policymakers in Indonesia and the Philippines.
Global ESG Monitor
A world-first measure in ESG transparency
Mark was co-founder of a leading measure of transparency in sustainability reporting that ranked companies on stock exchanges in Europe, the United States and Australia, based on their disclosures.
Fisheries R&D Corporation
Switching behaviours to save vulnerable species
Mark was a member of the behavioural research team that created the award-winning Switch Your Fish social marketing campaign that reduced fishing pressure on vulnerable species in Queensland.
Family Business Australia
Securing prosperity for families in business
Mark led consultation and co-design for the 2030 Strategic Outlook – a blueprint for realising the vision of the Board, executives, members and stakeholders of Family Business Australia & New Zealand.