Biography
Dave Mark is a seasoned global finance leader who spent more than 35 years working in Fortune 500 multinationals, spanning multiple industries including medical devices & pharmaceuticals, food & consumer products, and oil & gas. The majority of Dave’s career was focused on markets outside of the U.S., including more than ten years living and working abroad in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. This experience gave Dave exposure to the diverse cultures, unique local business practices, and rapidly evolving geopolitical and economic landscapes that drive both risks and opportunities for global businesses, and fueled his interest in deepening his understanding of the larger world.
Dave is a CPA, has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Iowa and an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. His strong belief in lifelong learning and interest in broadening his perspective brought Dave to the Master of Liberal Arts program, from which he graduated in June 2025. He looks forward to continuing his lifelong learning journey at the Graham school.
Dave retired after spending the last 23 years of his career in various financial leadership positions at Abbott, a global healthcare company with a diverse portfolio of life-changing technologies and revenues of $40 billion. Dave also served as the Board Chairman of Abbott Laboratories Employee Credit Union, an independent member-owned financial institution with more than 30,000 members and $1 billion of assets. In retirement Dave serves on the Board of Directors of the Fermi Forward Discovery Group, operator of the Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, in addition to serving on the Advisory Board for the University of Iowa Institute for International Business. Dave is also a semi-retired endurance athlete – having completed 10+ Ironman events as well as all six races of the Abbott World Marathon Majors – who continues to invest significant time in his fitness training.