Mark van Dorp

Mark is an economist with over 25 years of professional experience in the field of Private Sector Development (PSD), conflict-sensitive and peace-promoting business, conflict analysis, security & human rights, value chain analysis, MSME development, and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. He has worked in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The main thrust of his career is making the economy more resilient and sustainable in the most complex and challenging situations. Mark holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of Amsterdam.

Mark has broad experience in investigating and analysing business-related human rights, security and conflict risks, as well as identifying economic opportunities in fragile contexts. With this experience, Mark is well positioned to advise and support companies, investors and other stakeholders in a context of conflict and fragility, enabling them to operate in a conflict-sensitive way and fostering peace and stability. Mark has used this experience in projects in high-risk settings, including Lebanon, Iraq, Pakistan, Colombia, Cameroon, Chad, DRC, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan and South Sudan. He has also supported MSMEs and smallholder producers in developing their value chains and improving access to finance in these settings.

Mark has excellent interpersonal and communication skills and has a strong track record as Team Leader, evaluator, researcher, advisor, trainer, facilitator and project manager. He has worked on projects with multinational companies, universities, multilateral institutions (including World Bank Group/IFC, UNDP, UNHCR, IOM), NGOs (including SOMO, Oxfam, ActionAid, International Alert), governments and the European Union. In 2017, after having worked for NGOs and research centres for more than two decades, Mark started to work as a consultant, specializing in responsible business and private sector development in fragile and conflict-affected settings. He became a TrustWorks Senior Associate in 2021, and since April 2022, Mark also works as a Research Associate with LSE IDEAS, the foreign think tank of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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