Martin Swarbrick is an experienced Chief Executive Officer, Strategic Advisor, and Corporate Director who has led large global organizations and mid-sized private companies in high technology, engineering and manufacturing in the U.S. and Europe. His strategic acumen and deep grounding in the disciplines of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award have enabled him to successfully transform business models, operating processes, and organizational structures that increase stakeholder value in periods of stagnation, growth, and market upheaval.
Following his graduation from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland with degrees in Engineering and Mathematics, Martin began his career with GE. Kodak then recruited him to lead Verbatim operations in Europe, a global technology company that produced highly engineered products for Microsoft and other market leaders. He joined Motorola’s Commercial, Government, and Industrial Solutions Sector (now Motorola Solutions) and became VP and General Manager of a Greenfield operation that grew quickly under his leadership.
Motorola transferred Martin to the US as VP of Business Excellence where he led the implementation of a rigorous global operations framework based on the Baldrige criteria that impacted 14K employees in twenty-one facilities and businesses serving twenty-seven million users in 170 countries around the world. Motorola was recognized with the Malcolm Baldridge for Performance Excellence in 2002. Based upon his successful track record, he was recruited to Bison Gear and Engineering Corporation, a private family engineering and manufacturing company, where he served as President and CEO for nine years.
Martin is the Founder of Clear Waters LLC, a Chicago-based firm, which advises and coaches private business owners and next generation leaders and executives focused on generating increased value by ensuring their organizations are ready and attractive to transition under their control and timeline. He is an expert in governance, operations, and strategy for private mid-market companies.
His experience includes serving on manufacturing, association, and software/technology boards and has had ownership in manufacturing and service companies in the US and Europe. He is a credentialed Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) and is an alumnus of the Leading Family Enterprises and Corporate Governance programs at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business.