Mark Basham appointed CEO of Babington

The Board of Babington, a leading provider of apprenticeships, professional training courses, and learning solutions, is delighted to announce the appointment of Mark Basham as Chief Executive Officer.

Mark, who joins the Company on 3 July 2023, has significant expertise in the training and learning sectors and a track record of delivering growth in multiple tech-enabled B2B businesses. Currently supporting start-ups as an angel investor and board adviser in the ESG tech sector, Mark worked between 2018 and 2022 as CEO of AXELOS – a company that develops best practice frameworks and certifications in over 180 countries globally through an international network of training organisations and consulting firms.

Mark also worked as Managing Director for the EMEA region at BSI – the global professional services business operating in 32 countries. In this role, he led BSI through a period of rapid growth, increasing employee engagement, improving customer experience, and growing both revenue and profit. Mark is a former school governor and currently a trustee of a local Windsor-based charity.

Commenting on his appointment, Mark said:

“I am delighted to be joining Babington and becoming part of such a great team in this important sector of the UK economy. I am committed to working with organisations with a strong sense of purpose and Babington’s “developing better futures” for all underpins everything that the business does and is what drives our culture and behaviours. Apprenticeships are a key element of the UK’s economic strategy ensuring the availability of appropriate skills and resource. I am certain they will play an increasingly important role in the talent strategy of all business across the UK for decades to come. Babington is well-placed to support this trend and I am excited to get started.”

At the same time, Babington has appointed its first Chairman, Mike Kinski. Mike, a highly-experienced business leader who has held numerous senior roles at successful businesses such as New Zealand Bus, Jaguar Cars and Scottish Power and is a Professor at Middlesex University, has been working at Babington in recent months as a Special Adviser. His new role as Chairman solidifies that role, providing significant additional expertise to Mark and the Executive Committee as they seek to build on Babington’s strong reputation in the training and learning sector.