Martin has been actively working in Training and Development for nearly 20 years now and has worked in three diverse industries which has given him a unique insight into the development needs of individuals, teams, organisations and businesses.

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But that is quite different from where he started his working life……

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Martin started work as an Apprentice  for British Gas an international utility company and quickly realised a passion for learning which he had not previously recognised. Having completed a 3 year Apprenticeship he continued his education with various Further Education courses whilst working in the front line of customer service as a Service Engineer. Martin then took the opportunity of a secondment as a Training Officer (initially, then subsequently made permanent)into the  Learning and Development team for the company, working with the very people who had taught him and inspired him to learn some fantastic skills and knowledge. Here he worked on a national apprenticeship programme and was responsible for the provision of technical training to both Apprentices and qualified Service Engineers.

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From here Martin then moved into the Management Development Team and worked on a project to roll-out Open and Distance Learning throughout the South Eastern Region, eventually opening and running 18 learning centres in total.

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Martin then decided to embark on the next phase of his career by taking an opportunity to move into a very different industry – Automotive. He was offered the position of Training Manager for Daewoo Motor Company a Korean Car Manufacturer who were establishing a European Technical Design Centre in the UK. Here Martin was responsible for the design and implementation of a Modern Apprenticeship Scheme working in conjunction with partners from across the UK to provide specialist training for trainee automotive engineers. He also designed and managed an IMechE accredited Graduate and Under Graduate training scheme as well as implementing a bespoke Personal Development Review scheme, a Leadership Development programme and various behavioural skills programmes to the centre. During his tenure here Martin was part of a team that managed and undertook a large scale and complex redundancy programme from initial planning through to execution without any claims arising.

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Martin then moved into his third industry so far, Health and Hygiene, working for Kimberly-Clark a U.S. based Global Company employing around 55,000 people worldwide, with sales of $18.3billion and superbrands including Kleenex, Huggies, and Andrex. His initial role here was to set-up and establish a new European Shared Service Centre encompassing several functions from across Europe into one operation. What follows are some examples of the many projects and achievements that Martin was responsible for;

• Implemented and managed a large induction programme (over 2½ year period) to ensure that each new starter was not only equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to carry out their role but that they also understood the business aims and objectives and the culture that was being created at the centre.
• Part of a senior management team for a major project to outsource the transactional parts of Finance Shared Services to a third party provider.
• Part of a Global Project Team to deliver and support the roll-out of an award winning Global Performance Management process in the UK, Europe and South Africa.
• Part of a senior project team advising on a North Atlantic Finance project  delivering career development tools and resources for Team Leaders and Team Members to utilise including online resources.
• Developed a learning strategy consisting of a suite of innovative learning programmes incorporating a bespoke Leadership Development programme, Inspirational Leadership, Change Management, Communication Skills, Customer Service and Train the Trainer programmes.
• Provided a professional and confidential 1-2-1 coaching service to business leaders throughout Europe   
• Designed and facilitated meetings and conferences, including team development sessions, team conferences such as a trans Atlantic one uniting two parts of a team for the first time.  

Martin has now embarked on what he see’s as the most exciting phase of his career to date, that of setting up his own company and becoming his own boss – Martin Smith Learning and Development Consultant. His company established in April 2009 is focused on providing leading edge Learning and Development Consultancy and Executive Coaching services to businesses small and large. Some of his achievements so far include;  

• Designed and delivered bespoke Team Building workshops to Supply Chain clients to meet specified needs e.g. Effective Communication Techniques and Project Planning.
• Developed a New Team Leader Support approach to help team leaders quickly establish credibility with their team and ensure that they are both engaged and working towards clear objectives and goals.
• Providing a confidential 1-2-1 Executive Coaching service to senior team member and business leaders.
• Designing and Facilitating Meetings and eventscreating an opportunity for a trans-Atlantic team to draft solutions to issues identified in a staff survey and present to senior leaders.

Martin is a full member of the Institute for Leadership & Management  and a full member of the Association for Coaching  an independent non profit organisation with the goal to promote best practice, raise awareness and standards across the Coaching industry. Martin is accredited to use both Extended DISC and PRISM Performance Mapping tools.

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 To find out how Martin can help you, your team or your business to grow, please contact him to dicuss your needs.