After completing a degree majoring in Linguistics in the 1980s, Mark Balla took a job working for Lonely Planet Publications, first as an editor and later as a travel writer. Among others, Mark was involved in writing travel guides to various European and Latin American countries. From there, he moved to the commercial shipbuilding industry with a particular focus on trade exhibitions and trade publishing. In the early 2000s, Mark and his wife Annie started their own business in the CD and DVD manufacturing industry. The business grew strongly and it was eventually sold to an Australian based supplier. The buyer established a joint venture manufacturing business in India and asked Mark to join the board. This is where his Indian adventure began.
Mark lives in Melbourne and is married to Annie. They have two adult children and a cat. Mark has a complicated relationship with both the cat and his golf handicap. He is an enthusiastic member of the Rotary Club of Box Hill Central where he will be club president in 2020/21. He and Annie are avid travelers, both believing that the world is far too interesting a place not to have a good look at it.