A Chartered Accountant, Martin held a number of senior finance roles within industry, before being appointed Managing Director of a subsidiary of Bowater PLC in 1976.

After six years in a number of director-level roles at Linpac Containers International Ltd, four of which were as Chief Executive of plants in New York and Philadelphia, he joined Waddington PLC in 1985 as a Divisional Director. He was appointed Managing Director of the group in 1990 and Chief Executive in 1992, serving in this capacity until 2000.

He was a Non-Executive Director of St James's and Seacroft University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust from 1991 to 1997 and has been Chairman of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust since 2003.