Finance and real estate expert joins WMCA to drive investment in the region
Published: Thursday 28 Mar 2019
An expert in finance and real estate will be driving major investment programmes in the West Midlands.
Ian Martin has been named as investment and commercial activities director for West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
He will lead the development of the WMCA's investment strategy and ensure its capital investment programme is on track to deliver £8bn worth of benefits to the region over the next 30 years.
Ian Martin, the WMCA's new investment and commercial activities director
This investment package consists of flagship projects such as HS2, extensions to the Midland Metro, devolved transport schemes and the regeneration of Coventry City Centre.
Ian joins the WMCA from Homes England, where he led investment of the Government's Home Building Fund into housing developments across the Midlands and the North West.
He trained as a town planner, qualified as a chartered surveyor and spent more than a decade working for real estate consultancy JLL, both in the UK and Hong Kong. During this time, he advised on the Arena Central and Exchange Square developments in Birmingham.
His previous experience also includes working for Lloyds Banking Group, where he was responsible for corporate property finance lending in the regions.
Ian said: I was born in Birmingham and grew up in Dudley and Wolverhampton, so the West Midlands is home for me. After spending eight years away studying and working in Manchester, London and Hong Kong early in my career, I returned to a region that had started on a journey of regeneration and modernisation.
I'm really excited by this opportunity to play an active role in contributing to the continuing growth of the West Midlands. This key post will enable me to use my real estate and investment background to help this great region build on its success to date and achieve its full potential. I look forward to working with the WMCA team and the investment leads from the constituent and non-constituent authorities
Deborah Cadman, chief executive of the WMCA, said: I am delighted to announce such a high-calibre appointment.
Ian brings an in-depth knowledge of finance and real estate gained in senior positions across both the private and public sectors. His expertise will help us build the future and achieve our vision of building a healthier, happier, better connected and more prosperous West Midlands
Ian will take up his post at the end of April.