The Martec Story
Since July 1987, Martec has become a world leader in retail business process knowledge. It is also a world leader in training and related services for companies that sell to retailers. We train the job roles that require deeper, more complex knowledge, where individuals can make a significant difference.
We assist retailers and consumer goods manufacturers to improve business performance, and we help technology suppliers, systems integrators, consultants and others to execute their go to market strategies with retailers and manufacturers more successfully.
Our approach is entirely skills led. We specialise in upskilling and reskilling leaners in the core retail business processes and consumer goods company sales, marketing and supply chain processes. We have a comprehensive methodology and process explained in a white paper Upskilling and Reskilling in a World with AI. You can review the free management summary here.
Our methodology includes detailed workforce planning tailored to the changes that AI will bring and the resulting changes that will impact HR and L&D departments. Each job role on a career map has a unique learning path listing the skills required in that role, the training needed, the KPIs which will be impacted and the process for tracking improvement.
These improvements feed into a return on investment model which assess impact on the P&L, balance sheet, free cash flow and the internal rate of return. The methodology, the learning path skill definitions, the planning and implementation processes, the training content, real life exercises to practice skills and the ROI model are all available to clients.
Background
Prior to forming Martec, Brian held executive positions in the Debenhams department store group in the UK. His department store career qualified Brian as a hybrid manager, with various appointments in the MIS division ranging from Systems Manager to Divisional Director and a second career as General Manager of warehousing and distribution and lead executive in supply chain management.
Brian graduated in Mathematics, Operational Research and Statistics and moved into retailing following two years in logistics planning for a major brewer and ten years with a leading consulting company and systems integrator.
Brian founded Martec 37 years ago. His goal was to develop a retail consulting business providing services to retailers and technology vendors in the UK.
Brian Hume
Managing Director
Martec
Martec was born on 1st July 1987. Luck always plays a part in life and Brian's first two clients were Harrods and American Express. With brand names such as these, other prospective clients made decisions to use our services faster. We moved into training just 5 months later after client number 4 asked us to help train their sales force to understand the retail industry.
International Growth
Brian had originally intended Martec to be a UK business, but within two years clients had asked us to provide services in Europe and then the US. We have now worked in 38 countries and have a deep knowledge of retailing around the world. Our US business grew so well that Brian and his wife moved to Atlanta in 1998 to set up a US subsidiary. They returned to England in 2008. In the meantime, the development of the European community made it easier to sell services in Europe and we now have a long list of European customers as far afield as Portugal, Finland, Lithuania and Denmark. More recently, Martec has been increasing its activities in the Middle East and over a number of years has completed projects in Australia, China, Japan and India.
Clients
Brian has consulted to some of the world's leading retailers and suppliers in areas such as business strategy, development of strategic partnerships, all aspects of merchandise management, supply chain, CRM, store operations and the use of IT to improve business performance. His personal clients include supermarket retailers, convenience stores, fashion and department stores, mail order and online retailers, discounters, hypermarkets and various types of speciality retail. In addition to the retail community, Brian has worked with consumer goods manufacturers, fibre and textile manufacturers, banks, credit card issuers, wholesalers, telecommunications suppliers, computer manufacturers, software houses and others who need to understand and market to the retail industry.
Expertise
As a dynamic and knowledgeable speaker, Brian has been invited to lecture to retail audiences all over the world. His work has been translated into a number of different languages. He has taught merchandise management theory and practice to US retailers on behalf of the National Retail Federation.
Re-focus
In July 2019 Brian took the decision to focus Martec on the training business and to make it 100% of our activity. We now have learners in 58 countries and clients have placed orders from 38 countries. We have had learners in every continent except the Arctics.