Mark Crosby

Founder and Director

Hi, my name is Mark, and I am the Founder and Director of Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries.

My mother was a very early protagonist in the childcare sector, as more women were starting to return to work in the 1970’s and continuing their careers after having a family - she recognised an opportunity to provide high quality childcare. She opened her first Day Nursery in 1978 just outside Cambridge and, driven by a healthy demand, continued to expand the business until she had four very successful sites. She was always the main point of contact for parents and staff alike, due to this ethos she always maintained a very high quality of service. In 2002, Rebecca and I started our first nursery in Tring, the ethos was very much the same as my mothers, being very hands on and building relationships with the parents and staff alike. 

A bit about my past is that I was Head of Events Management for FT Business. My role was to capitalise on changing market trends, to identify new opportunities and create Conferences and Exhibitions in the Private Investor Sector.  

My core values for Monkey Puzzle is to build a Market Leading Day Nursery Group with owner/operator’s sharing in the success of the brand. Our focus is to grow the franchise business at a rate of 6 to 10 sites a year and continue to grow our Nursery Group. We are continuously looking for ways to improve the business for our staff and customers alike and to be trusted providers of very high-quality childcare.

What excites me the most about Monkey Puzzle’s continued growth, is how we have transformed the lives of our franchisees, to become successful multi-site operators.

Get to know me

I live in Chesham in Buckinghamshire, with Rebecca and my son Jude. My hobbies are skiing, motor racing and restoring classic cars. I’m also the only person I know who can flip an ‘Air Chair’, just check it out!