Mark Farmer

Mark is a Founder of Cast and board executive responsible for market strategy and brand. He served as CEO between 2016 and 2025. Mark has over 35 years’ experience in construction and real estate and is a recognised international commentator on a variety of industry and policy related issues.

Mark authored the Farmer Review, an influential 2016 independent government review of the UK’s construction labour model entitled ‘Modernise or Die’. From 2019 until 2023 he was appointed as the government’s Champion for Modern Methods of Construction in Housebuilding. In 2023 Mark was appointed by the Department for Education to lead the Arms Length Body (ALB) review of the Construction & Engineering Construction Industry Training Boards which was published in January 2025. Mark is a non-executive board director of the Future Homes Hub and chairs the NHBC’s steering group for their multi-skills site hubs national programme. Mark is an honorary professor at The University of Salford’s School of Built Environment and holds honorary doctorates from the University of The Built Environment and the University of Wolverhampton.

In 2021 he was the recipient of the CIOB President’s Award in recognition of his work driving long term change into the construction industry and in 2025 he was awarded an honorary fellowship of the CIOB.