Marcus East

Marcus East

Vice President Product and Technology and Chief Technology Officer

National Geographic

Marcus East is executive vice president product and technology and chief technology officer for National Geographic, based in Washington DC, where he leads the teams responsible for building world class digital experiences for audiences around the world. He has spent half of his career working for technology companies (four years at Apple and six years at IBM) and the other half helping global brands to harness the power of technology — including Comic Relief, Marks and Spencer and National Geographic. In addition to his expertise in delivering value for commercial organizations, Marcus also has a passion for the use of technology to drive positive social change, and spent two years building and leading Comic Relief’s technology function, during which time he drove the delivery of award-winning technology and digital products, including the record-setting donations platform that supports Red Nose Day. He has also advised and acted as a trustee for a number of charities.

Marcus is also very interested in policymaking related to technology, and he has also been involved in a number of government and public sector steering committees and think-tanks. Having lived and worked in the UK, Asia and America, he has an international perspective on the challenges facing organizations and societies today, and how technology affects them — he has strong views on social exclusion, diversity in technology, managing technology talent and how large corporations should react to the challenges and opportunities that the advent of the digital age brings. Marcus is a leading digital and technology expert with nearly 25 years of experience working at the forefront of technology and innovation for organizations across the globe.