Between 1992 and 2000, Pemberton’s first taste of management came with Woolworths where he worked as a regional business development manager in the south east, and he spent the latter two years of this period with Oxygen Learning Sydney as an executive coach and facilitator, working with companies and individuals worldwide to support growth, development, learning and personal fulfilment.

Between April 2000 and February 2010, Pemberton spent just shy of a decade as an officer in the British Army. He also served as international operations director for the NAAFI, leading the international business to deliver welfare to HM Forces, dependents and local civilians.

In 2007 after ending his role with the NAAFI, Pemberton became managing director of National Car Parks Ltd, a branded support service business. After spending three years with the company, he left the business and the army in 2010 and then set up his own firm: Peppermint Parking, and took up a position as head of commercial strategy, development and implementation for the retail and catering division of The National Trust.

In 2012, Pemberton stepped down from his role as MD of Peppermint Parking, and then left The National Trust the following year.

In 2013, Pemberton began to undertake contract work under the self-employed title of Pemberton Consulting, with his first role being with Westmorland Family where he worked as an executive consultant. His responsibilities were to re-position the family owned commercial centre and visitor attraction business to help make it more successful, operating restaurants, cafes, bars, multi retail, a cinema, gallery, theatre, lecture studio, four conference rooms, two exhibition halls, a fuel station and an adventure play area. 

Pemberton spent just over a year with Westmorland Family before his next contract role took him to HS1 Ltd in 2014. In his 11 months with HS1, he initiated a full review of the current car parking offer across the business along with a full contract review of the operator, and designed, built and delivered new parking strategies that maximised return on space and customer satisfaction.

In February 2015, Pemberton stepped into his current role as CEO of BEC and still holds the position to date. Aside from these commitments, he holds a director position at Derwent Forest Development Consortium Ltd - working on the delivery of a landmark development at Derwent Forest, West Cumbria - and is chair of the board of trustees for the charity AgeUK West Cumbria.