Mark Gordon knows the importance of patience, persistence and teamwork. He also knows the passion and thrill, and the success and failures, that can come with following your dreams. As one of the world’s foremost deep-ocean explorers, he has utilized all of these tools, and experienced all of these emotions, to make startling discoveries underwater. As wonderful as major discoveries can be, Mark also knows that it is often the explorations that come up empty handed where the most valuable lessons can be learned.

Mark is living his dream, and his passion is infectious. Audiences feel the excitement as he guides them through adventurous explorations. Whether an expedition leads to the discovery of unthinkable treasures, or to a ship that has been lost to the sea for a century or more, there is always the thrill of the journey – and always lessons to be learned.

Throughout his career Mark has conducted hundreds of dives and explorations on shipwrecks, and was the first person to discover and dive on the wreck of the SS Proteus, a ship that had been missing since the early 1900's. Discovery Channel’s Treasure Quest featured Mark and Odyssey in their three-part series that showcased Odyssey’s work on the SS Gairsoppa, SS Mantola and SS American Victory during 2012. In total, the Odyssey recovered 110 tons of silver bullion from the SS Gairsoppa - the heaviest and deepest recovery ever performed on a shipwreck site.

Prior to joining Odyssey, Gordon started, owned, and managed four different entrepreneurial ventures, including Synergy Networks which he founded in 1993 and later sold to the Rockefeller Group, where he served as President until 2004. He knows the pressure that comes with risk-taking and leading companies. Like all business owners, Mark raises capital, answers to boards, creates budgets, and provides quarterly forecasts to investors…now, he gets to do all of that in addition to exploring the depths of the world’s oceans.

Adventure, Research & Exploration, Environmental Science, Environmental Policy, Environment,