Alumni Leadership Stories
Mark Davis and Embracing Connections for Collective Impact
Mark Davis, Head of Digital at social innovation agency Today, has long been at the intersection of business, government, and community-driven change. With over two decades in digital, he describes his leadership journey as beginning out of necessity, evolving from being centered around field expertise and seniority, to a focus on supporting and nurturing others.
“Leadership as a concept is very fluid and changing for me, and it has been over the years,” he reflects. "It used to be about deep practice expertise; knowing my field really well was the way I marked my effectiveness.” Yet, the Williamson Community Leadership Program (WCLP) challenged him to rethink leadership. “Leadership has shifted for me to be much more about supporting those who I am responsible for, both at home as a father and at work. It’s about nudging the world along to be a slightly better place, even if it is by smaller margins.”
For Mark, the WCLP stood out as a special opportunity to gain fresh perspectives and expand his world view, perfect for his stage of life and career. Drawn by its unique structure and Leadership Victoria’s reputation, he opted to undertake the WCLP experience in lieu of other options such as an MBA or GAICD course.
I knew it was going to be good. I didn’t realise it was going to be so good.
“In all my years of reading, training and courses, I’ve never seen anything like it in its approach, its structure, its format,” he states.
Throughout his WCLP journey, Mark discovered the power of collaborating with people he would not otherwise engage with, through the diversity of the program cohort. He emphasises the value of bringing together people from business, government and not-for-profits to make progress on important issues, stating “very rarely do you get to spend essentially a year with people in a non-traditional commercial relationship... there is an optimistic and exciting possibility in these moments that brings our learning focus, skills and networks together. It literally made me feel like anything is possible”.
Now, Mark is committed to continuing the work sparked by the program’s collective projects, reaching out to the wider LV network to leverage the Williamson Fellows’ commitment to ‘take the call’ when others ask for help. “It’s a wonderful thing to pick up a phone and know that the call will not just be answered but leaned into,” he says. “That’s a pretty compelling community, not driven by commercial outcomes. That’s a unique and special thing”. Continuing the momentum, Mark is now advocating for Today to nominate someone for WCLP every year.
For Mark, his Williamson year was a reminder that leadership thrives on connection, momentum, and the courage to embrace diverse perspectives. “It’s extremely unique, deeply impactful, and helps you open more opportunities than are traditionally available in your normal walk of life.”
Mark Davis
2024 Williamson Fellow
Head of Digital,
Today