Mark Cornell

Mark Ralph Delano Cornell is a British businessman, who was formerly CEO of Krug Champagne, Moët Hennessy USA, Sotheby's Europe and CEO of Ambassador Theatre Group. He is currently President & CEO of Cirque du Soleil.

Early life and education

Mark Cornell was educated at Winchester College from where he was awarded an entry scholarship to The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Following his commission, he served in The British Armed Forces with The Royal Green Jackets for seven years from 1985 to 1992, during which time he completed three operational tours of Northern Ireland.
In 1996 Cornell received a post-graduate diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. In 1999 Cornell was awarded a Masters of Business Administration from International Institute for Management Development, Lausanne.

Business career

In March 2013, Cornell became the managing director of Sotheby's for Europe, UK, MENA and Russia.
In February 2016, Cornell became the CEO of ATG Entertainment.
In September 2024, Cornell was appointed as the non-executive chairman of Sapling Spirits.
In November 2025, Cornell was appointed President & CEO of Cirque du Soleil.

Government and charity work

Mark Cornell, as the then CEO of the Ambassador Theatre Group, was appointed a member of the Cultural Renewal Taskforce set up by the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in May 2020. The taskforce, chaired by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, aimed to help the recreation and leisure sectors, including arts, culture, and sports, reopen safely after COVID-19 lockdowns.
Cornell also served from 2017 as a trustee of LAMDA, a leading drama school in the UK.