Biography

Martin has significant public markets and business experience. He is a KPMG–qualified chartered accountant with more than 20 years’ experience as chief financial officer of listed, private equity-backed and privately owned technology-led businesses. Martin joined the main market listed Forward Group PLC in 1993 and was Group financial director from 1995 until its sale, for £129.0million, in 1997. In 1999, as deputy chief executive of Symonds plc, Martin led the public to private of this main market-listed technology group, backed by NatWest Equity Partners. The group was successfully restructured and sold within 12 months to a NASDAQ-listed US electronics group, whereupon he
became a vice president, working frequently in Silicon Valley. He was chief executive of the private equity business Forward Group plc from 2003 to 2005 and since then has been group finance and IT director of the large international food processing group Boparan Holdings Ltd and a private equity-backed building services business.

As well as his CFO responsibilities, Martin also chairs Mercia’s two lending subsidiaries. He has an honours degree in business from Aston University and has recently passed the FT Non-executive Director Diploma.