Escape Technology writes
It is with great sadness that we share the news that our former Managing Director, Mark Cass, passed away on the morning of Sunday, 27th July, after his courageous battle with cancer.
Mark was more than a leader. He was a mentor, a friend, and a constant, positive presence – both within our company and across the VFX, and Post Production industries. He championed kindness, always reminding us that “Be nice, that’s all it takes”. It was more than a motto; it was how he lived.
Mark joined Alias software in 1995, responsible for running the Maya software business, and driving the adoption of the product across the UK media and entertainment sectors. Across the subsequent decade he worked with all major film and games development studios, developing relationships, many of which lasted to this day. He left Alias in 2005 to found the technology reseller business at Escape Studios – which later became Escape Technology – continuing to serve customers tirelessly, whilst also lending his time to VFX and Games industry trade associations and groups.
His contribution to our business was immense, but it’s the human impact he had that resonates most. Mark brought people together. He had a big heart and a unique ability to understand what others were going through, offering support, humour, and perspective exactly when it was needed most.
We send our deepest condolences and love to Mark’s children, Louis and Hannah, and all of his family and friends.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, 13th August at 3pm. The family has kindly shared a link with more information, which can be found here.
We will miss Mark deeply. His legacy will live on in all the lives he touched.
The Escape Technology Team
Lee Danskin, CTO, Escape Technology, a personal note
I worked with Mark in various roles over a 35 year period, 25 of them directly. I first met Mark at Alias Research where I was a tech application specialist and he, a hungry new sales guy. We shared many a long car journey, transporting heavy SGI kit across the country conducting demos, with too many funny stories to mention here. Many of the relationships we forged working at Alias, both with colleagues and customers extended over many subsequent years and companies.
Mark and I had a special connection from the moment we met, and we never stopped laughing. He had incredible intuition with people, and could read people very quickly, understanding their needs and being able to put them at ease, creating a relaxed and comfortable situation.
Mark and I then worked together again at Escape Studios, which later became Escape Technology. It was a special place and special team, and it was a measure of the man that so many colleagues from our past rejoined us, as well as so many new ones. Great memories.
‘Be nice, it’s that simple, you never know what the other person is going through – just be nice’, was Mark’s mantra and one that’s served me in good stead. We shared a lot of life experiences, our children were the same ages, we had the same wedding anniversary, and we navigated life together, both professionally and personally.
Always remembered, always missed.
Jason Jenner, Commercial Director, a personal note
Mark’s passing is a considerable loss to Escape, and to me personally. I first met him in 2005, beginning a working relationship that lasted for 20 years and from which I learned an enormous amount. Mark was undoubtedly one of the best salespeople in his field, but crucially he always put people first. He valued customer care above all else, was incredibly kind, and was always friend first, boss second.
The volume of messages we’ve received in the last several days is testament to how well and how widely loved he was. The greatest respect we can pay him here at Escape Technology, is to maintain the standards that he imbued in the business and which he prized so highly, which we will endeavour to do, in his memory.
Staff Reporter
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