About

Mark Jenkinson holds a combined legal and commercial role at innovative Norwegian oil and gas exploration company Petroleum Geo-Services. ‘It’s an opportunity to deal with quite unique work,’ he explains. ‘With my region covering such diverse and interesting jurisdictions, it can be very challenging, but when I think back to my days working in London the issues were relatively mundane in comparison’. Jenkinson first joined PGS on secondment from his employer at the time, Watson, Farley & Williams LLP, and the experience opened his eyes to this alternative career avenue. ‘I really enjoyed the culture – it made me realise how much more attuned I was to an in-house role’. Jenkinson returned to the company one year later to become their regional in-house counsel, with an executive MBA thrown in as part of the deal. ‘I was scared of hitting a glass ceiling in the company so I thought more business understanding would be helpful,’ he explains. After completing his MBA in 2011, Jenkinson began handling equity investment opportunities in Asia Pacific, alongside his legal duties.‘It’s a very transactional role and because it’s so document-heavy, it’s a natural extension of the legal role’.