Mark Blythe

From studying in Glasgow to becoming a Global Director at Airbnb – Mark Blythe's career journey since studying business at Glasgow Caledonian University is an inspirational one.

Known for taking a people-focused, creative and innovative approach to business, Mark’s career has seen him take on roles at companies including T-Mobile, Three UK and, most recently, Airbnb.

After working in business management for several years, Mark began looking into further study in 2003. It was important to him to find a university that provided both on-campus academic classes and real-world industry learning, which made Glasgow Caledonian a perfect choice.

“The atmosphere at GCU was one that attracted me - it was a hardworking and inclusive university, which I felt reflected my own values.

“On my course I got to work with students from different backgrounds, who had various different reasons for choosing to study business, which was great.”

Mark says his programme gave him a strong foundation in business and practical skills that have served him well in several career roles.

“From the courses at GCU I picked up tools and models that I have used many times in my career, from external analysis appraisal to strategic planning models,”

After GCU, Mark advanced his career and was promoted to Service Strategy Manager at T-Mobile, where he defined and delivered the company’s service strategy.

He then joined Three UK as a Complaints Service Owner, responsible for ensuring compliance with Ofcom’s complaints regulations and developing long-term complaints strategies.

Next, Mark became a specialist consultant, using his experience to help national clients review their business models and plan for the future.

Mark has spent the past eight years at Airbnb, where he now serves as the Global Director CS Internal Product & Strategy, playing a vital role in the company while based in Scotland.

“I'm responsible for all of the technology used to service our customers and for defining and delivering the overall customer service strategy.”

A lot of work goes on in the background to help millions of people easily book and stay in more than 7 million Airbnb properties in 220 countries around the world.

Mark’s role covers more than 28 sites worldwide across 12 languages, working with over 20,000 staff to service more than 100 million customer interactions per year.

Balancing a global role while being based in Scotland comes with its challenges, particularly when managing different time zones. Despite this, he feels confident in his decision to stay.

“In each of my roles, I was offered the chance to relocate to London or the US. While these were great opportunities, I chose to stay in Scotland to maintain a strong family presence for myself and my children. By staying rooted here and traveling frequently, I believe I get the best of both worlds – I can explore different cultures and places while still enjoying time at home in Scotland.

“There is no such thing as a 9-5, however it means I get to work my life around that and push for work life harmony, rather than work life balance, as the balancing of scales makes it sound like it all has to be equal when most of the time it's give and take."

Mark encourages students wanting to follow in his footsteps to look for measurable, achievable and positive changes they can aim for in whatever role they’re in.

“Make a difference - no matter what you do or where you are doing it, you have to make a difference, and that difference must matter to people.

“I've managed large functions and multiple areas and have seen many clever people, but those who succeed are those that can use their knowledge and experience to drive positive outcomes.”