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Sir Martin Smith

Chairman Emeritus | London

About Sir

Martin has been involved in the financial services sector for almost 50 years. After senior positions at Citibank and Bankers Trust Company he became a founder and senior partner of the investment banking boutique Phoenix Securities. When Phoenix was acquired by the New York based Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ) he became chairman of their European Investment Banking business. He was subsequently a founder of New Star Asset Management Ltd. and has held a number of other directorships and business interests, including acting as Chairman of Worldwide Healthcare Trust PLC and a director of Oxford Capital Partners

His pro-bono activities include 35 years as a founding director and chairman of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and serving on the boards of a number of other arts organisation including the Royal Academy of Music, the Glyndebourne Arts Trust and the Science Museum Foundation. He was chairman of English National Opera between 2000 and 2005. He is a Governor of the Ditchley Foundation and a Trustee of Client Earth. In 2008 his family founded the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University. In 2013 he received a knighthood in the New Year’s Honours List for services to the arts, education and science