No Straight Lines
hen you first connect with Mark Haddad, you immediately sense a man shaped by forward motion. His life, rich with pivots and reinventions, has been guided by an unrelenting drive to understand the world, improve himself, and honor the sacrifices of his family.
Mark’s parents, along with his aunt and uncle, immigrated from Egypt to Philadelphia before settling in New Hampshire, where they embraced a new culture and new opportunities. Near what is now the SNHU campus, they opened several restaurants, building a foundation through hard work and resilience. Education, however, was always the family’s true north. Haddad grew up knowing it was the highest priority, a lesson he carries with him today and has passed on to his own children.
His first attempt at college didn’t go as planned. After a difficult first semester, Haddad believed that he had let his family down; then something inside him shifted. Determined to make his father proud, he told himself, “I need to do something no one else can.” That mindset became a driving force and led him straight into the U.S. Army.
Haddad pushed himself through the grueling process of Special Forces selection, embracing the mental and physical demands with a determination that would become his calling card. A serious parachuting accident, however, brought him home with a broken leg, and the need to figure out what came next.
Haddad credits SNHU’s faculty with shaping much of who he became. Open, understanding teachers, particularly those who recognized that veteran students move at a different pace, had a lasting impact on his success. An English professor encouraged him to start writing, planting the seed for what would eventually become his first book. Just as important, Haddad found community at SNHU. He got involved on campus, trained athletes, and connected with leaders who expanded his sense of what was possible. As he puts it, “If you don’t have a community, make it.”
After graduating, Mark began a dynamic career in technology and business leadership, holding roles at organizations including Autodesk, Graphisoft, and Slalom. Today, he serves as senior client growth leader at IBM, specializing in Microsoft and IBM Cloud, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. He has led teams, shaped product strategies, navigated acquisitions, and founded his own consulting company, Ascent, shortly before the pandemic disrupted industries worldwide.
Haddad’s life has never followed a straight line. After 9/11, he briefly returned to military service before another medical setback forced him to leave the uniform behind. He later worked as a private military contractor for the U.S. State Department, an experience that exposed him to trauma, conflict, and profound questions about human purpose. During those years abroad, the earliest ideas for his book began to take shape.
Haddad’s journey also led him, unexpectedly, into television and film. He consulted on the CBS series “SEAL Team,” took on acting roles, and contributed to a film addressing human trafficking. His military background helped shape scenes and storytelling, adding authenticity.
Through it all, Haddad remains deeply connected to SNHU. A proud alumnus, he has served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, stayed engaged with campus happenings, and continues to champion the university’s mission of expanding access to high‑quality education. He speaks passionately about SNHU’s evolution, including its focus on non-traditional learners, strategic growth, and readiness to embrace emerging technologies.
Today, Haddad’s story is still unfolding. If his life so far were to be read as a series of chapters, he hopes readers would take away a lesson central to his book: “Your human perspective is not your soul’s perspective. You can create your future.” His journey reminds us that purpose isn’t something we find — it’s something we build through daily choices.