Born in Helensburgh, a picturesque town on the River Clyde west of Glasgow, Mark Ferguson has carried the spirit of Scotland with him throughout a distinguished international career and a lifetime of service to the Burns community. A graduate of Strathclyde University with a BEng in Production Engineering & Management (1983), Mark began his professional journey with Cadbury Schweppes Plc, later transitioning to The Coca‑Cola Company in 1991, a partnership that spanned more than three decades and took him across Europe and North America.

From Brussels, Belgium to Vienna, Austria, to Dublin, Ireland and finally Atlanta, Georgia, Mark’s career reflected both global reach and local engagement. He retired from Coca‑Cola in 2015 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2019, continuing to champion Scottish heritage and fellowship abroad.

Mark’s love of Robert Burns was born in childhood, nurtured by family gatherings filled with song and verse, and deepened through Scotland’s educational tradition. His Burns journey has since become a defining thread of his life. In Vienna, he attended the Vienna Burns Supper for five consecutive years, delivering the Toast to the Lassies in 2001. In Ireland, he and his wife Elaine hosted Burns Suppers for friends and colleagues, keeping the Bard’s legacy alive wherever they lived.

After moving to Atlanta, Mark joined the Burns Club of Atlanta in 2015, serving as Director (2018) and later as Librarian (2024–present). He has been deeply involved in the Club’s cultural life and was extremely honored to deliver the Immortal Memory at the Club’s Burns Supper in 2022. Mark has also delivered the Immortal Memory on numerous occasions, including at the St. Andrew’s Society of Atlanta in 2017 and again in 2025, each time with eloquence and heartfelt reverence for the Bard.

Since 2018, Mark has coordinated the annual Burns Supper at the Sandy Springs Masonic Lodge, where he delivers both the Toast to the Haggis and Immortal Memory — tailored to reflect Robert Burns’s Masonic career, blending tradition with insight and warmth.

Mark’s commitment to the wider Burns community is equally distinguished. He joined the RBANA Board as a U.S. Director in 2019, was elected Vice President in 2022, and served as President in 2024. He now continues his service as Immediate Past President, coordinating the Annual General Meeting Conference Committee and contributing actively to RBANA’s growth and fellowship. His leadership extends to chairing the Membership Liaison Committee and serving on the Bylaws and Website committees. He also served on the RBWF Membership Subcommittee from 2021 to 2023.

An accomplished amateur singer and reciter, Mark brings Burns’s words to life with authenticity and joy. He also serves as Region 4 Vice President of the Clan Fergusson Society of North America, reflecting his enduring pride in his Scottish heritage. From Helensburgh to Atlanta, Mark Ferguson’s journey embodies the very ideals of Robert Burns, fellowship, humanity, and the power of words to unite hearts across borders