Rodney Marks
Rodney Marks is Australia's (mis-)leading corporate comedian. His corporate comedy satirises management language, usually in the form of fraudulent keynote speeches at business events:
As a corporate impostor, he has performed his Hoaxes and Jokeses® for many business, government and non-profit groups over the past two decades – over 2,500 performances of tailored corporate entertainment. Rodney’s comedy makes fun of the language of politics, management and bureaucracy, his persona one of a double talking jargon master, reminiscent of many government, business and community leaders. His comic subterfuges involve him assuming the role of an expert, often an academic, psychiatrist, IT authority, marketing guru, strategist, economist or CEO.
He has constantly proved his ability to tailor his work. His comedy is relevant to your organisation – and to your industry. He has a theatre degree from the University of New England, an MBA from the AGSM and an MPA from Harvard University. These qualifications have equipped him with the skills to understand different industries, organisations and people. He has also been an artist-in-residence at these same institutions – UNE, the AGSM and Harvard – as well as at UNSW’s Shalom College, and the Macquarie Dictionary.
Rodney has performed throughout Australia and has had over 30 international tours to England, the US, Malaysia, India, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Zealand. Since the mid-1990s, he has been listed in ‘Who’s Who in Australia’ and the ‘Concise Companion to Theatre in Australia’.
His screen credits include top billing in the comic film, 'Final Cut', which represented Australia at Cannes in 1997, won the Best Short Film Award at the 1997 Toronto Film Festival and was short-listed for a 1998 Academy Award nomination.
Rodney is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), one of just 46 speakers in Australia with the title of CSP ... and the only full-time comedian. He is based in Sydney and happy to travel to fool people into having a good time.
Testimonials
We want to thank you for your splendid appearance at a dinner of our Owner/President Management group. You could not have been more convincing - or controversial - as Mortimer Gage, our new Professor Organisational Behaviour. You did a superb job of fooling a group of experienced managers not easily misled, and we all enjoyed the experience greatly.—Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration
"Jim Kirk" futureshocks staff. A mildmannered, big-titled, public servant with change-of-season coloured braces et al., shocked our interstate staff into believing that their states were at the brink of collapse. Big relief set in when "Jim Kirk" turned into Rodney Marks!! However, one staffer has since crossed the border and is now working in Sydney (just in case?).— Australian Business Monthly
... not only did you rate well (the highest score of any speaker), your 'presentation' has been the talking point around the office ever since . . . well done.—Westpac, Australia
... your comedy performance and MC role did indeed significantly contribute to probably the best function ever conducted by this organisation. Don't know how you get away with it but you did. Our Chairman wanted to know "where the hell you were employed in the organisation", is he "really an engineer" and "who the blazes is this bloke". Well done.— Manager, Administration – Secretarial, EnergyAustralia
Favourite quotes
[My] comedy serves also to humanise bosses in the eyes of their subordinates. It's like being licensed by the king to tell the truth.
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