By Mark Homans, Head of Social Impact, Santander UK and governor at MK College Group

From the phones to purpose 

Mark Homans began his career at HSBC UK on the phones in a call centre, before becoming a trainer responsible for sales and leadership development. He then moved into retail banking as a branch manager. Today, Mark is Head of Social Impact at Santander, responsible for leading the bank’s social strategy to deliver productive and inclusive growth for customers, communities and employees. 

“Education is the most powerful investment we can ever make in people and communities, and it pays the highest social dividend.” 

Belief in the power of education 

“I’ve always had a deep belief in the power of education as a way to change lives and strengthen communities. Since first coming into contact with the college, I’ve seen its power as a vehicle for fundamental transformation. I’ve spent my career focused on inclusive growth, trying to help people access skills, build confidence, and tap into opportunities they need to thrive. This feels like a natural extension of my purpose — to support an institution that does exactly that.” 

A shared purpose 

Through the various ways in which Santander and the MK College have worked together, Mark got to know Principal and CEO Sally Alexander and recognised her mission to connect the college with communities and business, creating opportunities for students. 

“I quickly saw how the college stands out in its determination to bring about positive change. It’s not just about qualifications — it’s a place where education meets aspiration, and where learners of all ages and backgrounds can build skills that open doors, something I’m extremely passionate about.” 

Social mobility in action 

Much of Mark’s work in recent years has centred around how social mobility can drive economic productivity — and he sees the college putting that into practice every day. 

“I see people from underrepresented groups being given new opportunities, building networks and connections, and having the chance to become whatever they want to be. They’re picking up those real-life skills alongside their course work and exams – the things that make a meaningful difference.” 

“When learning meets purpose, transformation follows.” 

A college rooted in community 

“There are things that make further education unique. Not everybody is designed to learn the way schools are set up to teach. MK College finds different ways to engage with people, to help them get the best out of themselves and find their ideal learning style. 

This is at the heart of the community; it really understands community need, is thoughtful about who comes here, and what they require to go into the workforce and be effective. Employers who get it see that this is the place to engage with if you want talent — and talent that can be moulded to meet your business needs.” 

Looking ahead 

“When you look at the amount of building going on in the city, the Universal development, and the Oxford-Cambridge arc, Milton Keynes looks set to boom. The college will be, and needs to be, central to all of those projects for them to create the greatest benefit for our communities. 

I walk round our campuses and hear people talking, and I look at some of our fabulous facilities like the South Central Institute of Technology – what an amazing space by the way – and I can’t help but be excited for the future.” 

Creating the conditions for others to succeed 

“What I want to do as a governor is to help create the conditions for others to succeed. Education is the most powerful investment we can ever make in people and communities, and it pays the highest social dividend. It’s not just about teaching skills; it’s developing minds and expanding horizons.” 

The ambition to transform 

“MK College Group is all about creating opportunities that wouldn’t have been there before — turning people’s minds onto something that could be, that maybe couldn’t have been before. Done at scale, done consistently, and done repeatedly over multiple years — that’s how you transform the world. 

I want to bring that perspective, that big ambition, to help the college be the difference makers; the ones that fundamentally change the future for as many people as possible, particularly those who don’t have the privileges that others have around networks, access and belief.” 

“Together, we can make such a difference.” 

To find out more about governance at MK College Group, visit Governance – MK College