Martin McCourt
Martin McCourt has worked for some of the biggest consumer brands for over 40 years. As CEO of Dyson for 15 years, he led the business from niche vacuum cleaner maker to a global brand with an extensive product line.
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Martin McCourt's 2024 biography
About Martin McCourt
Martin McCourt has spent over 40 years working at the heart of British-based manufacturing, design and marketing for quality brands such as Dyson, Mars, Duracell, Toshiba and Pelikan.
Martin was the CEO of Dyson for 15 years, the ideas to market-leading consumer products maker. As CEO, he devised and implemented a strategy that transformed the company from a single product, single market producer into one where 80% of the business came from over 60 markets around the world. In that time he increased UK skilled jobs, grew profits to over £300m and enabled James Dyson to keep on inventing.
In 2011 Dyson hit £1 bn revenue for the first time. Martin was directly responsible for the establishment of Dyson subsidiaries in the USA, Japan, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. In total he took Dyson into over 60 markets, achieving market leadership in the majority including the USA.
Martin’s previous experience was in sales and marketing with successful global companies Mars, Duracell, Toshiba and Pelikan.
In 2010 Martin was named UK Business Leader of the Year.
Current Chair and Non-Executive Positions
COMPO
In August 2021 Martin was appointed as Chairman of COMPO which is is a leading European producer and distributer of gardening soil, fertiliser, lawn seed and products for plant protection with a focus on organic ingredients.
Pure Electric
In December 2020 Martin was appointed as Chairman of Putre Electric. The business is focused on the design and development of high performance, zero emission, personal electric transportation.
Tharsus
In November 2020 Martin joined the Board of Tharsus as a Non Executive Director. Tharsus design and manufacture Strategic Machines that solve tough automation problems for Businesses, driving performance and productivity.
Weber
In January 2019 Martin joined the Board of Weber as a Non Executive Director and strategic adviser. Based in Chicago, Weber is the most recognized name in the world for barbecue grills and has the most comprehensive range of products and services in the industry.
FreeFlow Technologies
In October 2018 Martin was appointed as Chairman to FreeFlow Technologies, a dynamic UK start-up, developing a lightweight compact, high performance e-bike drive system that is backed by Williams Advanced Engineering and Foresight PE.
Past Chair and Non-Executive Positions
Lightfoot
Martin was the Chairman of Lightfoot from November 2018 until October 2021. Described as the ‘Fitbit for cars’, Lightfoot cuts fuel emissions and saves money for drivers every time they drive.
Learning Curve Group
Martin was the Chairman of The Learning Curve Group from January 2016 until its successful exit in February 2020. Learning Curve is an organization that provides vocational
education and training programmes to a wide range of learners and employers.
Headbox
From 2014 until 2020 he was a Non-Executive Director and investor for Headbox, a web based platform which enables the sharing of inspiring places for people to have meetings.
Your Life
Martin was on the Board of Your Life. A recently completed, three-year, campaign to ensure young adults in the UK have the maths and science skills needed to succeed in the current competitive global economy. 2015-2017
Glen Dimplex
He was formerly Chairman of Glen Dimplex, a leading international group that is the world’s largest manufacturer of electrical heating as well as holding significant global market positions in domestic appliances, cooling, ventilation and renewable energy solutions. 2016-2019
Dudson
Chairman of Dudson a long established ceramics company. 2017-2019
Venture Founders.
Chairman of Venture Founders. A UK-based equity investment platform designed to make Angel and Venture Capital style investing more accessible, affordable and transparent. 2016-2019
CAP
Chairman of CAP, a market leading provider of vehicle valuation data, new vehicle information and business solutions to the automotive industry. 2012-2014
CliniSys Group (CliniSys)
Chairman of CliniSys, the market leading supplier in Europe of clinical laboratory information management systems (LIMS), 2013-2016
D.O.R.C (Dutch Ophthalmic Research Centre)
Chairman of D.O.R.C a prominent provider of innovative instruments and equipment for ophthalmic surgery. 2013-2015
Equatex
Chairman of Equatex the foremost supplier of international employee and executive compensation plan services. 2014-2016
Martin McCourt's 2024 talks & topics
Ideas
Have the right people, tap into their thinking and instincts, encourage and liberate their idea flow. What we do that achieves this and what we do that can stifle creativity
Modern day disruptors
How smart companies are stealing a march on their rivals by engaging with millennial consumers using platform communication and social media. The importance of keeping pace with changing consumer attitudes and values, thinking outside the box
Iterative Development
How Dyson aped the age old principles of engineering and product development, employing fundamental techniques such as cardboard modelling combined with cutting edge CGI
Vertical Growth
Enjoying the journey, deliberate disruption and the consequences. Being ready to meet adversity and to turn it into opportunity. Making your business look good, often at the expense of others. Helping competition score own goals
Big changes
Transferring all manufacturing, UK based, to Southeast Asia. The role that technology played in supporting an effective transfer. Doing the right thing even if it is the hardest thing (widespread criticism at Dyson decision).
Made in Britain? …or created in Britain?
The role that invention and entrepreneurship plays in fuelling economic growth
Testing
Combining human abuse testing with powerful engineering data systems
More bumps in the road
Entertaining incidents that resulted in competitors helping Dyson to market leadership in the USA in under two years from launch
Confronting failure
The Dyson washing machine was not a commercial success. Airblade, Air Multiplier and Vacuum cleaners were. Importance of how we react when it goes wrong…
Think big and stay small
How hard we need to work to retain our identity. Being David and the advantages over Goliath. How to make sure that scaling up does not bring about a loss of identity
Martin McCourt's 2024 speaking fees
- United Kingdom
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