Marina has a background in international affairs, philanthropy and conservation. She was the founding director of the Blue Marine Foundation, a leading British environmental charity dedicated to solving the crisis of overfishing by employing public-private partnerships that provide long-term solutions for marine sustainability. Under her leadership, the area of ocean under full protection was doubled in the creation of the Chagos Marine Reserve. In the 2008 US presidential elections Marina was the director of Americans Abroad, spearheading John McCain's worldwide campaign, having worked previously at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London and Barbour Griffith & Rogers in Washington, DC. Marina is also closely involved in the arts.