Pilko & Associates | Martin Bell

"Senior-executive expertise in European
and global transactions"

Martin Bell

Position: Executive Associate
Office: Cheshire, UK
Email: martin@pilko.com
Phone: +44 (0) 1928 787803
Mobile: +44 7802 260 832
Fax: 713-357-0990

Biography

“What I like most about the people I’ve worked with at Pilko is that they’re high-level thinkers,” says Martin Bell. Martin joined Pilko in January, 2004 after a long career managing environmental issues at the corporate global level with ICI, a large multi-national chemical company headquartered in the UK. “Most environmental consultancies just look at the technical detail,” Martin continues. “What I did with ICI – and what Pilko does – is to see the business context into which the environmental issues fit.”

At ICI he played a key role in EHS management, including ten years experience of deals totaling more than £10 billion ($18 billion). His work spanned all facets of deal-making, from outline interest to profitable conclusion, and he worked closely with legal teams, merchant banks and funders.

In his last job as Director of Sustainability, Martin worked with the ICI Board on corporate governance, environmental, and social responsibility issues. At the same time, he continued his leadership role in the environmental management of transactions, including legacy and integration management.

Martin brings to Pilko years of senior-executive leadership experience in European and global manufacturing and environmental issues and transactions. “We don’t have the same degree of litigation as the US,” he says, “but European regulations are confusing, new ones are coming, and it's very important to anticipate the likely business impact of these. Each country translates EU directives in their own way. Understanding this in the context of transactions, and combining environmental expertise with business experience is something I contribute to Pilko.” In his three years since joining Pilko, Martin has worked on many global transactions, working for merchant banks, equity houses, and multinational oil and chemical companies. Projects include the divestment of Dynamit Nobel, the divestment of Basell, the acquisition of Brunner Mond by Tata Industries, and the divestment of European refineries and marketing businesses.

When not bringing our clients new insight into transaction potential (“A lot of money can be made by doing deals properly!” he says), Martin and his wife enjoy opera and hiking through the English countryside. Martin is a also golfer, and when he has time, he heads to “cold windy waters” for a sailing vacation with friends. Martin and his wife have two grown daughters and a granddaughter.

Prior Experience

Director, Sustainability – 2002-2003
- Responsible for initiating, implementing and directing sustainable development for ICI.
- Worked with NGOs, socially responsible investment institutions, regulators, and other stakeholders.
- Obtained the active support and commitment of the Board and key business leaders.
ICI M&A team – 1995-2003
- Led due diligence, negotiations, contractual terms and divestment transition / acquisition integration for HSE issues in all large (> £100m) M&A transactions.
Group Land Protection Manager – 1998-2002
- Provided strategic management and performance direction of contaminated land issues for ICI globally.
Senior Environment Manager – 1992-1998
- Managed contaminated land and groundwater issues on a strategic worldwide basis. Gained acceptance for long-term strategy for contaminated land issues.
Production Manager - 1984-1991
- Responsible for manufacturing operations at a major chemical complex in the UK.
- Managed several ‘major hazard installations,’ which involved close negotiation with regulatory authorities.

Education and Certifications

University College, London: Postgraduate Diploma in Chemical Engineering (1967-68)
Imperial College, London University: BSC (Honors) Chemistry, ARCS (1964-67)
Fellow, Institute of Chemical Engineers
Oundle School (1959-64)