Background
Brian Martin is a person who has a lifetime of learning experiences that have transcended into a lifetime of success, which he now wants to share with others.
Born in London, England, an only child he grew up in the war time Europe in a working class family. At 16 years old, while he was a cadet on a naval training ship, he visited many countries and discovered New Zealand. He felt New Zealand, was a land of milk and honey and a place which would afford him more opportunities than his mother country, England. He persuaded his parents to allow him to go to New Zealand.
He arrived in New Zealand when he was 18 years old with $20 to start his life. His first job was digging the foundations of a government post office building, this doubled his financial stake to $40. He then took a job as a door-to-door salesperson. A profession hardly known at that time in New Zealand. It was a commission only job and he was soon earning seven times the average wage.
He bought his first business when he was 20 years old and an apartment house when he was 21 years old and rented beds. By the time he was 24 years old he had two businesses and three houses which he rented. He was chief executive of one of New Zealand's larger apparel companies at age 28.
He was the founding President of Levi's New Zealand. On his first day at Levi's he created a world record at that time and sold more jeans than anyone in the company's more than 100 year history, for which the chairman of Levi Strauss presented him with an award. Starting from a zero market share, Levi's became number ONE in the heavyweight denim market in just over two years.
Brian was transferred to Levi's Japan, the only Levi's subsidiary to lose money in the company's history. Brian and his team turned the business into a profit in under a year. Levi's Japan was written up by the media as a US success story in Japan along with IBM and Coca-Cola. He was promoted to head up all the Levi's Asian countries, headquartered in Hong Kong.
After three years he was about to be transferred to Levi's headquarters in San Francisco when he was approached by the German company Triumph International, the world's largest women's intimate apparel company to run their largest international business with 2000 employees and 500 retail outlets. Brian worked in this position for seven years and was financially enabled through his business results to be able to retire at age 49.
He returned to New Zealand with the intention of “ never to work again”. After one year of retirement, with a lack of mental stimulation and an excessive lifestyle, Brian realized he was not headed for a very exciting future! He started IAS Learning Group Ltd, purely as a hobby, that would contribute positively to people's lives. Working with executives in leadership and communication, after a year in business the IAS consulting/training business was booked out with assignments one year in advance. Brian then decided he either had to turn his hobby into an organization that should fulfill its destiny.
Brian's vacation, became his vocation.
The IAS Learning Group Limited celebrates its 21st anniversary, and has trained over 30,000 executives in many of the world's largest organization in the private and government sectors.
Brian now feels the time is right to share his considerable experience, to help as many people as possible, to have a better quality of life during these challenging times. Brian has given a lot of his time voluntarily, working very successfully with young people. He and his Japanese wife Keiko have given several thousand free scholarships to teenagers in leadership and confidence building. Brian has a strong belief that children are our future and if they have a positive vision of that future that is what they will create.
He calls himself a gypsy, and he lives in Japan, China, North America, and New Zealand.
Achievements
Graduate HMS Worcester
Fellow, New Zealand Institute of Management
Chairman. Japan/New Zealand Business Council
Chairman/CEO. IAS Learning Group Limited
Chairman. BKM Estates Limited
1989 - Selected as an honored member of the International Who's Who of professionals.
2001 - Received the 21st century award for achievement in recognition of outstanding achievements, in the field of business.
Visiting lecturer at the China executive leadership Academy, Pudong. (CELAP) Shanghai, China.
Visiting lecturer at Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
Member of the advisory board for the Business and Law Faculty at AUT. (AUT are the fastest-growing business faculty in New Zealand)
A published book author in English and Japanese.
Senior member of the Society of training and development, USA (ASTD)
Former director, Global dining restaurant chain, USA and Japan.