Martin is the former Director, and now Advisor, of Fair by Design, which exists to end the poverty premium – the extra costs poorer people pay for essential services like energy, credit, payments and insurance. He is Professor of Practice in Financial Inclusion & Consumer Policy at the Centre on Household Assets and Savings Management (CHASM), University of Birmingham.

With a background in consumer advocacy, grant-making and regulation, he has held a range of positions, all with the common objective of placing low income and vulnerable people at the heart of policy-making.

Whilst at the Financial Conduct Authority, he created its model for engaging with consumer groups as well as its consumer vulnerability programme, leading to nationwide changes for consumers. At the Big Lottery Fund he led the creation of its £31.7 million financial capability and inclusion programme. 

 Martin is trustee of Young Scot and an advisor to the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute. He has been a Financial Inclusion Commissioner, an advisor on consumer protection to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, a board member of the Association of Charitable Foundations, the Nationwide Foundation, the Institute of Consumer Affairs, as well as a Commissioner for Scope’s Commission on Extra Costs for Disabled People.