Mark Bouris
Mark Bouris | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mark Leigh Bouris November 30, 1960 Punchbowl, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, media personality |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Known for | Founder of Wizard Home Loans and Yellow Brick Road; host of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia, The Apprentice Australia, The Mentor |
Mark Leigh Bouris AM (born 30 November 1960) is a prominent Australian entrepreneur recognized primarily as the creator and chairman of Wizard Home Loans, which ranks as the country's second-largest mortgage lender outside the banking sector, following Aussie Home Loans. He also established Yellow Brick Road in 2007 and continues to serve as its chairman. Bouris has been the host of several television programs including The Celebrity Apprentice Australia (2011–2015), The Apprentice Australia, and The Mentor. In addition, he has written multiple business publications and actively engages audiences on Instagram and YouTube.
Early life
Bouris was born in Punchbowl, New South Wales to parents of Greek Orthodox and Irish-Australian Roman Catholic backgrounds. He resided in Punchbowl until he turned 18. His education includes attendance at Benilde High School located in Bankstown, followed by studies at the University of New South Wales.
Business career
In 1996, Bouris launched Wizard Home Loans, which he later sold to GE Money in 2004 for $500 million. However, during the 2008 financial crisis, GE divested Wizard to Aussie Home Loans at a significantly reduced valuation in December 2008.
Current business
On 18 June 2009, Bouris took on the role of chairman at TZ Limited. Presently, he leads Yellow Brick Road as chairman—a firm dedicated to financial planning, advisory services, wealth management, and home lending solutions. Additionally, Bouris holds a board position with the Sydney Roosters rugby league club competing in the Australian National Rugby League.
In August 2011, he was appointed non-executive chairman of Anteo Diagnostics, an Australian biotechnology company specializing in cutting-edge medical diagnostic technologies. He also serves as Non-Executive Chairman for Serena Resources Limited, a company focused on copper exploration projects in Chile.
Awards
Bouris was first listed on the BRW Rich 200 in 2005 and appeared again in 2007.
In 2012, he was honored with honorary doctorates from both the University of New South Wales (Hon.D.Bus.) and Western Sydney University (Hon.D.Litt.).
During the 2015 Australia Day Honours, Bouris received the appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of his outstanding contributions to finance—particularly home lending—education initiatives, and charitable causes.
Media personality
Bouris became widely known across Australia through his appearances in Wizard Home Loans advertisements throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. Owing to his Greek ancestry, he is also well-regarded within the Greek community. Utilizing his media prominence, he was selected to host the Australian adaptation of The Apprentice on the Nine Network in 2009; this iteration lasted one season. Subsequently, he continued hosting The Celebrity Apprentice Australia, which debuted in October 2011 and consistently ranked among the top five television shows. The Nine Network renewed it for a second season in 2012 featuring international star David Hasselhoff.
Beyond television roles, Bouris presents The Mentor, a weekly podcast available via PodcastOne. In 2017, there were announcements about transforming this podcast into a reality TV series designed to assist small businesses facing challenges.
In November 2020, Bouris introduced a new podcast entitled Straight Talk.