Martin Traynor OBE

Small Business Crown Representative

Martin has extensive experience in the leisure and hospitality sector, following a successful career in hotel management. After being elected to President of the Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce in 1999, Martin decided to change career and take up the role of Group Chief Executive of the Leicestershire Chamber (including CEO of Business Link, Leicestershire).

After leaving the Chamber in 2014 to set up his own consultancy business, Martin also took on a number of Non-Executive roles, including Chairman of the King Richard lll Visitor Centre Trust, Chairman of The Forest Experience Ltd, and Deputy Chairman of University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

Martin has a long history of working with local, region, and central government on economic development, regulatory reform, and procurement. Martin has recently completed two three years terms on the Govt’s Regulatory Policy Committee. He has also served as a Champion for the Govt’s Red Tape Challenge and an Advocate for Business Focus on Enforcement. During his time at the Leicestershire Chamber, Martin successfully piloted the Better Business for All programme and worded with colleagues from Regulatory Delivery to role out the programme across the LEP network.

In the 2007, Martin was awarded an OBE in HM The Queen’s New Year’s Honours for “services to business and the community of the East Midlands”.