Mark Pownall has more than three decades of media experience, predominantly in business media in Perth, with a foray to the financial centre of London in the mid 1990s.
Mr Pownall has a vast body of work available through the archives of Business News, including news articles and features on many subjects. He has written a regular column for Business News since he joined as Editor in 2000 and has also been a key part of the Mark My Words podcast duo with Mark Beyer since 2014. On stage, Mr Pownall has interviewed many of the state's business leaders.
For most of his time at Business News, Mr Pownall ran the content operations of the business and was integral to the implementation of all the company’s digital products – the twice daily email newsletters, weekly podcasts, deals database and the Data & Insights subscriber database and search engine.
In early 2017 he became CEO of Business News, a role he had for three years before transitioning to his last executive position as Director of Strategy & Innovation, where he was responsible for digital transformation and new product development, including the rollout of a new subscriber-only remuneration platform. He is now back on the tools as a working journalist.
Mr Pownall's media career started with sports reporting while he studied for a Commerce degree at the University of Western Australia. He followed that with a post-graduate qualification in English at Curtin University.
In this Business News podcast Mark Pownall and Charlie Gunningham discuss the Bank levy, Perth’s Lord Mayor, international property investors and WA’s wine sector.
The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research is on a major fundraising drive to bolster cardiovascular research in Western Australia, to further localise study of this major killer and head off a leakage in philanthropic donations to eastern states institutions.
In this Business News podcast Mark Pownall and Mark Beyer discuss public sector overhaul, medical research funding, CityLink developments and our university sector.
While innovation is a necessity in every business founder’s toolkit, it seems cutting-edge technology is not always something that plays a critical role in their success.
In this Business News podcast, Mark Pownall and Mark Beyer discuss property in Scarborough, Claremont, Elizabeth Quay and the Hyatt, Private capital boosts HealthEngine and Muscleworx, distilleries win gongs and March quarter deals environment.
Offshore oil & gas: Woodside Petroleum’s February launch of a new supply ship that can use liquefied natural gas as a fuel is an early move in what could be a larger focus on driving new market demand.
As management and staff at Woodside Petroleum keep a watchful eye on the development of their new digs at Capital Square, the company is not waiting to move to its high-tech building to develop digital capability.
The appointment of Dawn Freshwater as vice-chancellor at the University of Western Australia brings an unusual combination of internal candidate and agent of change.
In this Business News podcast, Mark Pownall and Mark Beyer discuss TFS- Quintis, Kerry Stokes and mining investment, Western Force’s prospectus and who are the state’s Most Influential people?
Royal Flying Doctor Service WA CEO Grahame Marshall talks to Business News head of content Mark Pownall about his career shift to head a not for profit six years ago and what he has learned on that journey, with an organisation that reaches every corner of our vast state.
Could the state government solve the political headache created by the freight congestion at Fremantle, set up the state’s future as significant trading hub, and make a big profit on privatisation all at the same time? One local infrastructure expert certainly thinks so.
OPINION: Voters are deserting the established political order in droves. Many are fatiqued by the constant change, and believe they are bearing the brunt of it.
In this Business News podcast, Mark Pownall and Dan Wilkie discuss election promises, South Perth, mining raisings, Richard Goyder and mining services.
A growing market for government consulting, and the rising impact of regulation on business, have prompted mid-tier accounting firm BDO to recruit a former local chief of Australia’s corporate watchdog, Jane Gouvernet.
Woodside Petroleum has officially launched its latest marine craft, taking the opportunity to showcase the newly built platform supply vessel Siem Thiima in Fremantle due to its capacity to use LNG as a fuel.
In this Business News podcast, Mark Pownall and Mark Beyer discuss Civic Heart, Richard Goyder, top IGA, local property market and WA private companies.
Perth mining industry software entrepreneur Norman Pater has put his money where his mouth is, with his private company, Pater Investments, supporting the Greens WA to the tune of $99,500.
In this Business News podcast, Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss the Builton collapse, election promises, Richard Court and Rob Bransby, and WA’s professions.
Prestige Perth-founded wristwatch brand Haigh & Hastings is on the market, with company administrator Bob Jacobs moving quickly to sell the business as a going concern.
OPINION: The state government’s renewed warmth towards tourism is a welcome, if belated, response to the end of the resources boom – but there are some kinks they should iron out.