Laura Marks

Marks grew up in North-West London, attending South Hampstead High School and Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls.[2] She graduated from University College London before training as a teacher at the UCL Institute of Education. Marks later undertook a Commonwealth Scholarship to Canada for an M.Ed.

Marks was a member of the youth group Habonim Dror. Her family were members of Elstree and District Reform Synagogue.[3]

Marks joined Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO in 1987, becoming planning director.[4] In 1997 Marks left AMV BBDO to start her own planning consultancy. Between 1994 and 1998 Marks also served as chair of the Association of Qualitative Research Practitioners.[5]

In 2005 Marks founded Mitzvah Day International, an annual day of faith-based social action that takes place in November each year.[6] Marks has said that the inspiration for Mitzvah Day International came after she was asked to sing in an old people's home when living in Los Angeles.[7]

Since its establishment, Mitzvah Day International has both become the UK's largest faith-led day of social action and spread to numerous cities internationally with over 40,000 participants now taking part worldwide each year.[8][9]

Marks is co-founder of Nisa-Nashim, a national Jewish Muslim women's network that works to connect the Jewish and Muslim communities by empowering women.[10] As of early 2020, Nisa-Nashim has 26 local UK groups and is the fastest growing initiative between the Jewish and Muslim communities in Europe.[11]

Marks’ other inter-faith work with the Muslim community includes involvement with Sadaqa Day.[12] She regularly speaks at interfaith events including the New Horizons Conference.[13]

In 2016 Marks became Chair of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, a government-founded UK charity that supports and promotes Holocaust Memorial Day by working to educate people about the dangers of hatred.[14]

In 2011 Marks founded and chaired the Commission on Women in Jewish Leadership and in 2020 relaunched the independent Alliance of Jewish Women and their Organisations.[15][16] She is a trustee of both the Jewish Leadership Council and the Commonwealth Jewish Council.[17][18]

In 2019 Marks was appointed to the Mayor of London's Equalities Diversity and Inclusion committee.[19]

Between 2012 and 2015 Marks served as the Elected Senior Vice President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.[20]

Marks is a regular media commentator, contributing to platforms including BBC Radio 2 Pause for Thought, BBC Breakfast, BBC London News, HuffPost, Evening Standard, The Jewish Chronicle, Jewish News, The Times of Israel and the Ham & High.[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]

The Jewish Chronicle named Marks in the top ten most influential British Jews in "The JC Power 100" in 2014.[29] Marks sits on the board of the Jewish News.[30]

In 2014 Marks was made an OBE for services to interfaith relations.[31]

Marks was awarded the Archbishop of Canterbury's Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation in 2019.[32]

Marks is married to Dan Patterson, a television producer.[33] They have three children and live in Primrose Hill, London.[34][35] She is a member of North Western Reform Synagogue.[36]

In September 2020 Marks will be publishing a book focussed on the application of qualitative research.[37]