Sally Martin is a non-executive director and advisor, with over 30 years experience in senior commercial and marketing roles in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Australasia and the US.

As an executive, her last role was as the CEO of Qantas Airways for the UK, Ireland, Middle East and Africa, with full P&L accountability and responsibility for the European online offering, including yield management. She successfully returned the region to profitability. This followed acting as Qantas’ world-wide Head of Marketing and being the Group General Manager responsible for Commercial Strategy.

During her executive career, Sally worked on the start-up teams for the trans-Tasman airline Freedom and on an Australian low-cost airline which later became the blue-print for easyJet. She was a part of the “design team” who put together the business plan for a start-up domestic airline in Saudi Arabia.

As a senior commercial executive, she was heavily involved in the creation of the oneworld brand and the creation of Australia’s most successful credit card and loyalty programme (the Qantas Telstra Visa Card).

As an advisor, she has worked with the Macquarie Group, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley on start-ups, buyouts and turn-around projects in London, Europe and the Middle East.

As an independent non-executive director, Sally has recently stepped down as the Senior Independent Director for Veeve, an online business that facilitates the renting of luxury homes. In addition, she was on the board of Voyage Control, a tech company which provides logistics management solutions in the UK, Europe, Los Angeles, Boston, Sydney, Canada and the Middle East.

Also as a non-executive, she chaired the Remuneration Committee of Holidaybreak Plc (then FTSE-250) and was heavily involved in a number of UK and European M&A transactions, including a Class 1 acquisition. She was part of a small group of non-executives who oversaw the preparation of the business for a “take private” sale (which occurred successfully in 2011).

In the not-for profit sector, she is Chair of the NZUK Link Foundation. Under the Patronage of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and The Princess Royal, the Foundation awards grants within the fields of Education, Science, Technology, Arts and Business.

In addition, She is a Trustee of the Paddington Business Improvement District (BID) and the Britain-Australia Society Education Trust. She is also Vice-Chair of the Hyde Park Estate Association and is the Chair of its Transport Committee.

In the past, she spent seven years on the Board of Australian Business in Europe (now the Australian & New Zealand Chamber of Commerce), where she mentored start-up entrepreneurs and assisted businesses which were entering the UK market place.