About Mark

Mark “InTheStands” Hepworth (aka MITS)

I am 50 years old and have been following rugby league for more than 40 years. For most of that time, the Parramatta Eels have been at the centre of my sporting life.

Professionally, I work in the banking industry as a cyber security expert. I hold a Master’s degree in Cyber Security and am a proud member of both ISACA and ISC². I have earned industry-recognised certifications through these organisations and believe strongly in the principles of governance, accountability, risk management and continuous improvement—principles that are just as important in sporting organisations as they are in business.

I began my career in the late 1990s working in technical support and IT troubleshooting, a role I continued in until 2012. While I enjoyed the technical challenges, I wanted to build a career that focused more on protecting organisations and the people who rely on them.

To prepare for that next step, I undertook distance education while continuing to work full-time, ultimately earning my Master’s degree in Cyber Security. Balancing full-time employment with postgraduate study taught me the value of discipline, perseverance and lifelong learning—qualities that have continued to shape both my professional and personal life.

My experience in the telecommunications and internet industries naturally led me into cyber security. After developing my skills and earning my professional certifications, I progressed into cyber security roles with increasing responsibility.

Today, I work in the banking industry as a cyber security expert, specialising in third-party vendor and supplier risk management.

No organisation can do everything itself. Every business relies on external partners to deliver specialised services. My role is to ensure those organisations meet the same high standards of security, governance and accountability that we expect of ourselves. I help assess risk, challenge assumptions and ensure that the organisations we choose to work with are capable of protecting our customers and our reputation.

I believe that same philosophy applies to the Parramatta Eels. Whether we are appointing senior executives, engaging consultants, selecting commercial partners or making strategic football decisions, we should surround ourselves with people and organisations that meet the highest possible standards. Excellence is built not only by the people inside an organisation, but also by the quality of the people it chooses to work with.

Outside my professional career, I have also held national leadership positions in a member-based organisation that advocated on behalf of its members and operated across Australia. During that time, I served as National Vice President and gained valuable experience in governance, committee work and representing the interests of a diverse membership.

As part of that role, I organised and delivered a national conference, which led me to establish an events organisation responsible for coordinating two weekend stay-away conferences each year. Those experiences taught me the importance of planning, budgeting, communication, volunteer coordination and delivering successful outcomes for members.

My connection with Parramatta extends far beyond simply attending NRL matches. Read about my Parra journey here