Michael Martin qualified as an accountant in Dublin in 1974. He spent three years with Price Waterhouse in Paris on audits of French subsidiaries of US and UK multinationals (IBM, Unilever) and French multinationals complying with international accounting standards (Suez, Saint Gobain, Pechiney). He started his investment banking career with Allied Irish Investment Bank in Dublin working in private equity and corporate finance. Private equity deals worked on included transactions for Dublin Cablevision, Peak Electronics, and Woodchester Investments.

Michael joined Kleinwort Benson's corporate finance division in 1981 and spent 14 years with the bank in in London, New York & Paris. He became a director of Kleinwort Benson in 1987, Chairman of Kleinwort Benson North America Inc in 1993 and Président Directeur Générale of Kleinwort Benson France in 1994. He worked on a wide range of domestic and international mergers and acquisitions for clients including Cadbury Schweppes, Reed International, SmithKline Beecham, Tate & Lyle, Smith & Nephew, American Brands, Warner-Lambert, Carrefour and Auchan.

In September 1995, he joined Anvil Partners (now Anvil Partners LLP) in London where he has been advising management teams involved in MBOs/MBIs and raising early stage finance. He is a a Director of Phynova Group plc

After qualifying as a solicitor with Clifford Chance, Richard worked from 1985 to 1990 in the corporate finance division of Kleinwort Benson, where his experience included a wide range of transactions involving company acquisitions, disposals, flotations, placings, rights issues and other fund-raisings. In 1990 he joined Rowan Dartington, the Bristol-based stockbroker. As Corporate Finance Director, Richard established the quoted corporate finance division and a client base of some 15 companies.

In 1993, he was appointed Managing Director of Appleby Westward Group plc, the then USM-quoted SPAR food distributor and convenience store operator. He took Appleby Westward to a full Stock Exchange listing in 1996 and negotiated the £10m recommended offer from BWG Limited (then part of Irish Distillers and Groupe Pernod Ricard) in February 1997.

After 9 months on the BWG Board, Richard left Appleby Westward and established Coleford Consulting Limited to develop his advisory and investment activities, primarily in the South West of England. Richard became a Director of Anvil Partners in 1998 and a Member of Anvil Partners LLP in 2004. Richard is the Non-Executive Chairman of Pearce Holdings.