It is with great regret that the Board of ShareSoc announces the death of Mark Bentley on 26th December 2025 following a short illness.
Mark was a founding director of ShareSoc in 2011 and an active SIGnet participant. He has been a driving force in the organisation’s development.
He was a tireless advocate for the rights of individual shareholders, dedicating himself to strengthening investor education, transparency, and empowerment. He was a key member of the policy committee and of several major campaigns, not least the Beaufort Securities Campaign and, more recently, the Hartley Pensions Campaign. Mark ensured that thousands of ordinary investors avoided unjustified charges running into tens of millions of pounds.
Mark took an active part in various SIGnet groups and became a strong proponent of SIGnet’s value as an educational and networking medium. He helped bridge the merger in 2019, ensuring that SIGnet’s ethos was preserved within ShareSoc’s broader framework.
Mark also spearheaded ShareSoc’s IT development initiative, delivering the new website, member forums, CRM, communication and payments systems.
Heather Benjamin, ShareSoc chair, commented:
“Mark Bentley has been an inspiring person to work with over the last couple of years and has provided me with tremendous support. I am proud to have known him.
His passion for supporting ShareSoc and its members will never be forgotten.”
Most of Mark’s career was spent in the IT industry beginning with Logica in 1980, where he worked on the Giotto Halley’s Comet intercept mission for the European Space Agency amongst other projects.
In 1987 Mark started his own IT services business, Anvil Technology Ltd, which he ran successfully for 14 years.
Mark became a full-time investor from 2004, having pursued investment as a hobby for some 20 years prior to that. He attended many company meetings each year and published his reports on a number of investment orientated web sites. His annual investment reports offered a valuable and objective insight into the performance of his investments.
Away from the world of investing, Mark enjoyed poker and rambling, and somehow managed to combine all three disciplines into a shared activity with a group of friends in London.
In 2022, Mark moved from Luton to Seaham, just south of Sunderland. He remained an active ShareSoc director and SIGnet participant and has been convener of the National Group and co-convener of the Tyne-Tees group which meets in Durham.
Mark’s legacy lives on in the stronger, more confident voice of UK retail investors. He will be greatly missed.
Mark’s funeral will take place on 26th January at 3.30pm at Golders Green Crematorium.
Post Date: December 27, 2025
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Mark Bentley was a fantastic person, he did so much for Sharesoc. He was very kind and generous with his time for anyone who needed his help in many spheres of his life. The world is a better place because of him and he will be sorely missed. May he rest in peace.
Mark welcomed me to ShareSoc as a co-Director and was integral to helping me understand the nuances of non-executive responsibilities, never mind his tremendous knowledge of investing and investor issues which he shared generously. His positivity, selflessness, indefatigible energy and passion has greatly improved the lot of all UK investors even if they may not know it. He will be sorely missed by all of us, whether Directors, members, investors or colleagues past and present.
I worked beside Mark on the ShareSoc board for the past 10 years and came to respect and admire him as a valued colleague and to appreciate his unwavering support, his deep knowledge, his energy, and commitment to the cause. He was always there when help was needed and usually with a helpful insight, a wise word or good idea and Mark has done more than anyone I know to help ordinary investors in difficulties. With great determination and energy he has helped many thousands of people avoid significant and sometimes, life-changing losses. I have immense respect for his achievements – he is a true hero.
I shall always remember Mark’s infectious enthusiasm, his integrity and kindness. He will leave a massive void at the heart of our team.
Vale Mark Bentley. He embodied the very best of SIGnet and ShareSoc and worked tirelessly to help the team and our members. I have been so grateful for Mark’s support and advice re SIGnet. Mark stepped in to assist whenever he was needed. Mark was a popular Convener, a passionate investor and a kind and caring team member. Mark built the IT systems that drive our organisation and was the bridge between ShareSoc and SIGnet that helped the merger to go ahead. We will miss you so much. Gone but never forgotten.
I was shocked to read this. I only got to know Mark over the last few years as we worked together on policy issues. May he rest in peace.
Thank you Mark Bentley for all your endeavours on behalf of private investors.
This is truly heartbreaking news. For me, Mark embodied the qualities of a true gentleman and scholar. His values of professionalism, fairness, and integrity were matched by a remarkable brilliance and passion for investing which he always shared generously with others. He was my inspiration for joining ShareSoc, and I will remain deeply grateful for his guidance and encouragement. Serving alongside him as a fellow director was both an honour and a privilege. His passing is an immense loss to ShareSoc and to the wider UK private investor community. My deepest condolences to Mark’s family. May he rest in peace. Mark, you will be sorely missed, but your legacy will endure and continue to inspire. God bless.
I only got in touch with Mark after joining Signet
community. He was very knowledgeable, generous in sharing ideas , very patient to run our group taking everyone along. On a few occasions I had an opportunity to seek his guidance on investing. He had full clarity on subject matter and helped me to understand things. Our group, Share Soc members and wider community will miss this lovely soul . May God rest his soul in peace.
Mark did so much for SIGnet and ShareSoc that his death leaves a huge hole.The wonderful thing was that his commitment to both came from an absolute belief in what he was doing coupled with an unceasing drive to implement what he believed in. Rest in peace Mark
Mark had a passion for investing, and a deep knowledge of many aspects of investing. He willingly shared his knowledge and experience with others. He was a key member of SIGnet, both as a Convener and a member of the SIGnet Committee. We will miss him greatly, both as a friend and a colleague. For those who knew him he will remain in our memmories as a courteous, kind and truly genuine person. RIP
I was heartbroken to hear the news about Mark and only wish he could have known how much admiration and respect I had for him. One of life’s true gentlemen, I met Mark when I joined ShareSoc and he has been an absolute rock ever since. He showed nothing but kindness and patience, offering support and advice, and constantly amazing me with his technical mind. Even when he was taken into hospital, he stayed positive — and the fact that he continued working from his hospital bed to support ShareSoc members says it all. Mark, you were one of a kind, a true inspiration, and you will be so very sincerely missed.
I did not know Mark personally but it was obvious to me through our correspondence about Hartleys that he was a man who acted with empathy , passion and integrity for the many people who he championed. He was determined to selflessly make a positive difference by ensuring those with their hands on the levers of power and control did ‘the right thing ‘. A force to be reckoned with ;who will be sorely missed by all his friends and family .
My sincere condolences
I am desperately sad to learn of the death of Mark Bentley. As a victim of the Hartley Pensions fiasco I know how hard Mark has worked on our behalf, and how much he has achieved. His loss is a bitter blow for us.
But this isn’t about us: this is about Mark, and I would like to express my heartfelt sympathy and sincere condolences to his family and friends. I hope they will find comfort in the knowledge that he was deeply respected by so many people, and will continue to be an example to us all.
Shocked to hear this very sad news .
The ShareSoc community has lost a true friend and a guiding light.
Besides Mark’s contribution to the sharesoc , he was a warm, helpful, pleasant welcoming soul who made every interaction a pleasure . Will be greatly missed .RIP
You will be missed, Mark. Thank you for all of the support re. Hartley and many other things. UK Financial Services needs people like Mark to keep it honest.
RIP
It is such a shame to lose such a helpful and considerate leader. Although my contact was limited he was very kind, responsive, attentive and effective. RIP.
Mark was an exceptional guy who will be sorely missed.
May he rest in peace
It is shocking to know this unexpected news; Mark has done so much for the UK investment market development and investor protection, effectively and decisively; we are deeply indebted to him; wish him to rest in peace, and my heartbreaking condolences go to his relatives.
We are sorry to hear of Mark’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and Mark’s family at this time.
You can’t get finer accolades than those above.
Shocked to hear this very sad news .
The ShareSoc community has lost a true friend and a guiding light.
Besides Mark’s contribution to the sharesoc as an individual he was a warm, pleasant welcoming soul who made every interaction a pleasure .
Will be greatly missed .Rest in Peace
That is shocking news so early in the New Year. I know Mark well in the Beckenham days of Mello – absolutely first class chap, generous, knowledgeable and smart enough to make it all work.
He was a huge asset to Share Soc, which has become a major benefit to private shareholders, not least those who had accounts at Beaufort.
May he rest in peace.
RIP and Thank you, he did so much for the ShareSoc members.
I’m so sorry to hear of Mark’s passing. Such a lovely man, always a tireless supporter of private investors and their interests. We’ve enjoyed a number of site visits together and I shall remember him as a kind and encouraging fellow investor.
What a shock!.For those who will remember where quite a few of us first met- MOTLEY FOOL WEBSITE AND GATHERINGS THEN YOU REMEMBER THOSE FIRST GATHERINGS WHERE I FIRST MET MARKIN IN 2004 AND WE INSTANTLY GOT ON. MARK WAS A GREAT FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE WHO HAPPILY SHARED HIS KNOWLEDGE FREELY. HE WILL BE TRULY MISSED
RIP DEAR MARK
Truly shocking to hear of Mark passing. I remember meeting him a Beckenham Mello, many years ago. Both there and after, he was always happy to share his time and experience with more novice investors like me. I also had the pleasure of playing poker with him many times and he was a strong and challenging opponent. RIP Mark.
What very sad news to start the year. As others have remarked here, Mark was a lovely man and a true gent with a passion for shareholder involvement and shareholders rights. He will be greatly missed. Mark, may you rest in peace.
Mark, you will be remembered for the values that you personified and that no doubt many of us aspire to.
Thank you for the opportunity to know you.
Such a loss to ShareSoc and so sad that he died so young. He would have been only 67 later this month. (As a ShareSoc director, his month and year of birth is on Companies House.)
I found it great to work with Mark during my more limited time on the ShareSoc board a few years ago and am so sorry to hear he has died.
Sad news. Met him at several AGMs. Good Comradeship.
The news of his death was a shock. He was such an enthusiastic supporter of SIGnet, always helpful and knowledgable, Mark will be greatly missed.
A big loss, very sad, may he RIP. Terry Nalden
So sorry to hear this. Mark was a longstanding shareholder and would always ask insightful questions at our investor meetings. The whole team will miss him.
Mark was such a lovely man and his death is a huge loss to us all at ShareSoc, and indeed the wider investing community. I worked closely with Mark for a number of years and he was so generous with his time, helping and supporting others. Rest in peace Mark, we all miss you
Such sad news. I met Mark a few times at AGMs and investor events and he was always very enthusiastic about investing and ShareSoc/SIGnet. My condolences to his family.
A true gentleman who was kind and generous with his time. He was great at welcoming investors into the wider investing community. I was really very sad to hear of his passing. RIP
I very much enjoyed working with Mark over the past decade. He brought infectious enthusiasm, clarity of thought and an altruistic approach to investing, to protecting the rights of individual investors, and to ShareSoc’s board. We will all miss him greatly.
A gentle soul, a loving friend, and the best companion for watching cricket. After more than 15 years together, saying goodbye feels impossible. My heart is with you forever. May God rest his soul in peace.
Mark may be gone, but the love and lessons they left behind will guide us forever.” We will miss you so much. Gone but never forgotten .He made ordinary moments extraordinary. with him been to so many events where only 2 of us there for sharesoc or as private investor . Though he’s gone, the love he gave and the memories we made—especially on those cricket days—will stay with us always.