Mark Quinn-Newall
Net-A-Porter Co-Founder
Over the last twenty years Mark has been focused on helping business leaders operationalize great ideas. He does this through direct VC investment, hands on management and consultancy services.
In the late 1990s he was asked to review a business plan for a fashion e-commerce business. He helped develop the plan, business model and ultimately found the business in 1999 – Net-A-Porter was born. In addition to being a founder, he was Chief Operating Officer for four and a half years.
At Net-A-Porter he was integral to the running of the business and reporting to shareholders. Among other things he implemented their global fulfilment system and oversaw the development and functionality of the website and ongoing systems development. Following his departure, Mark retained a significant stake in Net-A-Porter and remained an investor until 2015.
From 2005 – 2009 Mark worked with Carmen Busquets at CoutureLab, a luxury e-commerce incubator.
In 2011 he was introduced to Cult Beauty as an angel investor, since then he has been integral to the business’s growth as its largest investor, and ultimately as Chairman (2014-18). He has worked closely with its founders and other board members and investors, particularly Jessica DeLuca and partner preference shareholders Manzanita Capital and Carmen Busquets.
At Cult Beauty, Mark has not only been the largest investor, he has also brought his operational expertise to bear, particularly within e-commerce strategy, IT guidance, and development of online pure play marketing strategies. He has worked to mentor the company’s executive teams to meet the needs of a rapidly growing consumer goods e-commerce business.
Until 2012 he was a committed and repeat investor in Cult Beauty, providing investment and mentoring to management. He joined the Board in June 2012, and then in 2014 Mark was appointed Chairman of Cult Beauty, taking a more hands-on role with management and operations – guiding the company to its triple digit growth period, to achieve the successful business it became. He then went on in 2020-2021 as Chairman of the Exit commitee to oversee the sale of the company to THG (The Hut Group) for £275m in August, 2021, creating in the process 29 new millionaires.
As an autodidactic, Mark dives deep into his investing, mentoring and philanthropy, and is passionate about his Scuba and Free diver – holding recreational, technical and instructor qualifications in the sport.
Mark Miller
Principal Advisor
Mark has a strong background in industry verticals, manufacturing, governance, and risk management. He previously founded the MSL Group of Companies focused on the Communications and Arts-Entertainment industries respectively for two decades. A mentor and Company Director with appointments in UK, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, Mark indulges his passion for ocean exploration and global travel through his bespoke adventure tourism company, and continues to work as a consultant and risk advisor to the marine industries and several NGOs.
As a Non-executive Director of Cult Beauty and Deputy Chair of the Governance, Remuneration and Exit committees, he was instrumental in the acclaimed 2021 sale of Cult Beauty to the THG Group.
