Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace: Eyes Wide Open

Overview

Mark Bannister has a challenging Disability called Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2 which requires his use of an electric wheelchair – occasionally exchanged for a quad bike when the terrain gets tough where he now lives in South Africa.

Mark is a very high profile, and internationally respected Chartered Mechanical Engineer with a B.Eng (Honours) Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Loughborough University (UK). He has some 31 years experience in the planning, design and implementation of multi-disciplinary water and sanitation, health and education related programmes. In 2020, he re-published a book entitled ‘Eyes Wide Open’, which is a light hearted perspective of his life, growing up with a disability and how he turned challenges into opportunities to achieve a very exciting and rewarding life journey using disability as a key driver – the book considers many of life’s human right issues and is designed to educate and motivate others. He is now working as the Chief Engineer within the Department of Water and Sanitation in Johannesburg, South Africa where he is the National Coordinator for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6) programme, besides developing legislation, policies and guidelines for the provision of water and sanitation across the business chain – source to tap and back again.

Join Mark in this conversation where he will take you through his journey from a little boy in a wheelchair on the streets of Liverpool, his passion for engineering and desire to use his skills to help others, and how he ended up becoming a key expert in the delivery of water and sanitation infrastructure in South Africa!