TEES TECH AWARDS 2021
TEES TECH AMBASSADOR
SPONSORED BY CORNERSTONE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
FINALIST
DAVID DIXON
Winner – Mark South of Double Eleven says Teesside is full of good people working together .
WINNER
MARK SOUTH ( Double Eleven )
When Mark South and two pals moved from Canada to the University of Teesside in 2003 , little did he realise that 18 years later he ’ d still be here – let alone running a successful company .
But that ’ s been the journey for Mark , chief operating officer at Double Eleven , a full-service publisher and developer of interactive digital entertainment for big names such as Microsoft , Nintendo and Sony .
Based in Boho One , the company employs around 220 staff across its HQ in Middlesbrough and studios in Birmingham and Malaysia . It was recently nominated for a Bafta for its role in developing Minecraft Dungeons , proving that the Tees Valley is a place to do digital business on a national and international stage .
Approachable , supportive and enthusiastic about the region , Mark helps shape local policy and support provision in all areas of digital , as well as championing the next generation of companies coming through . And Teesside is where he now calls home . He said : “ I ’ m 42 now but I ’ ve been here nearly half my life ! “ As a company , we know we want to stay here no matter what , even though none of the directors are from Teesside .
“ It ’ s an area full of good people working together , and it ’ s really humbling if people think I represent some of that . I ’ m so proud of everything here – what people have achieved , yet how understated people are .”
And Mark , who also met his wife Kirsten here , added : “ If you can ever ‘ owe ’ an area , I owe this one .”
SPONSOR ’ S MESSAGE
Chris Bibby , sales director at Cornerstone Business Solutions , said : “ We were happy to be involved again in the Tees Tech Awards , and it was great to see different companies and individuals winning compared to last year . Any of the three finalists could have won , but congratulations to Mark . I met Mark after the awards and what really comes over is how passionate he is about Teesside . Nice guy !”
( Digital City ) David is investment programme manager and a digital transformation specialist who has worked for Middlesbrough ’ s Digital City since 2017 , driving digital growth across the region .
David believes in Teesside ’ s digital companies , whether they are start-ups or established firms . His enthusiasm for what the region can achieve is infectious .
Obsessed with tech and passionate about connecting people , David is never off duty when it comes to the tech sector and supporting business growth . His network is global and as a selfless networker , he regularly introduces others for their benefit with no personal gain .
A catalyst for so many collaborations in the region , he embodies the word “ ambassador ”.
FINALIST
DEAN BENSON
( Visualsoft ) CEO of Visualsoft , Dean has been an amazing success story for the region .
Building Visualsoft into one of , if not the biggest digital companies in the Tees Valley , Dean has generated employment in the region and encouraged those who have worked under him to found their own businesses .
Dean represents the Tees region at talks and events and sits on various boards , such as the Teesside University Entrepreneurs ’ Forum . He always helps where he can and has contributed a huge amount to charity , especially during the last challenging year .
Recently raising new investment into his organisation , Dean continues to grow offices outside of the region , increasing the Stocktonbased company ’ s national footprint .
38 | Tees Business