Meet Mark
Dynamic keynote speaker.
Award-winning author.
TFS Results founder and CEO.
Difference maker.
As an international expert on Generations Y and Z, Mark has devoted his career to empowering educators and employers to unleash the tremendous potential of today’s young people, both in the classroom and on the job.
After successfully parenting two Millennials as a single father, Mark has become a passionate advocate for bridging the generational divides that are contributing to America’s profound skills gap. Parents, schools, districts, businesses, and state organizations across North America have successfully used Mark’s insights and strategies to connect more effectively with the younger generations.
In his work with educational and business organizations, Mark has pioneered many best practices for achieving more with today’s young people, including the Education with Purpose® philosophy and highly popular Career Tree® strategy, among others. Mark, who interviews frequently on radio shows, television, and podcasts, is often cited as the national expert in education enrollment, retention, and performance.
Mark enjoys inspirational movies, theater, travel, golf, wine, and time with his family — especially the latest Pernas, granddaughters Eleanor and Elouise. He resides in Cleveland, Ohio.
Dynamic and Motivational Public Speaker
Mark, a graduate of John Carroll University, has many years of experience addressing industry leaders on the topic of expanding their reach in an increasingly global marketplace. Mark delivers more than 70 keynote speeches annually at national and statewide events and spoke at Harvard University by special invitation. His genuine personality and warm sense of humor make him a fun and memorable communicator that people connect with immediately.
He regularly addresses both small groups and massive crowds in his capacity as a generational and performance expert, reaching thousands of educators, employers, parents, and young people each year with his powerful message of change and empowerment.
SpeakerUpcoming Speaking Engagements
View AllAward-Winning Author
Mark, a weekly contributor at Forbes.com and host of The Perna Syndicate weekday Alexa Flash Briefing, has published numerous articles in national publications as a recognized voice in student and employee engagement and success. His award-winning bestseller, Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance in Younger Generations, was written to help educators, employers, and parents understand Generations Y and Z and inspire them to greater performance in all areas of life.
author
Founder and CEO
Mark is the CEO of TFS Results, a strategic consulting and communications firm that he founded nearly 25 years ago to serve the needs of education and workforce development. At TFS Results, Mark heads an energetic team of talented professionals who share his vision of making a bigger difference. TFS Results partners with schools, districts, businesses, and state organizations of all sizes across North America to help them experience significant gains in enrollment, engagement, retention, and performance rates.
CEO