Martin James

I launched crystal Business Finance in 2007, alongside colleagues Mike Austin and Alex Callister. Having spent 30 years in the asset finance industry, mostly around the Midlands, including 16 years with RBS’s finance arm, I have gained widespread experience working within the independent broker market since 2001.

Most of the business I now write comes through recommendations from local bank managers and accountants who are anxious to offer their clients a wider choice, as well as a highly experienced, totally professional approach.

My wife Helene and I have four children: Steve, Becky, Nick and Rebecca, aged between 21 and 25. Outside work, I love walking holidays with Helene and our loopy chocolate Labrador Ed, socialising over a good bottle (or two) of red, or annoying the neighbours with my ludicrously expensive HiFi/surround sound system.

Choosing a favourite album is a tough one, but would include Pink Floyd’s “Meddle”, “Seconds Out” by Genesis, Radiohead’s “The Bends” and “Absolution” by Muse are in my top ten – I’m just an aging prog-rocker at heart!

Favourite films – anything directed by David Lynch or David Cronenberg and sporting-wise it’s always “Up The Villa!”.

I launched crystal Business Finance in 2007 alongside colleague Martin James and Alex Callister. I began my career in the late 1980′s, so I’ve worked in challenging economic times before and know how difficult the current markets can be, however by working closely with clients, suppliers and the funders I can normally come up with the solutions required.

I really enjoy the business, as every day is different and there are many customers to help, challenges to tackle and successful outcomes to pursue.

I was born in Coventry (1968) but moved away a few years ago to Worcestershire.  I have been married to Vanessa since September 2006. We enjoy the countryside, horse riding, cycling and walking our two dogs for hours on end.

I love to escape at weekends and to spend time near the sea on the south coast, although it does make it very hard to face the wet, miserable M6 on a Monday morning.

At home I do the odd spot of gardening and read a lot of fiction, my current favourite being Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series.

I also like to get involved in charity events and fund raising. 

Being a bit of an ‘old rocker’, my favourite album is Whitesnake’s “Live in the Heart of the City” and with regard to a favourite film; “Avatar” completely blew me away.

Please check out our charitable events page under Contact Us tab to found out further information.

I was born in Stevenage and launched crystal Business Finance in 2007 together with colleagues Mike Austin and Martin James. I’ve been in the financing and leasing industry for the past 15 years and during that time have developed a wide spectrum of customers, many of whom have developed into friends, as well as business associates.

My prime areas of operation lie in the construction, haulage and associated companies for whom I channel my competitive spirit into always achieving the right deal.

I enjoy helping people grow and develop their businesses in the good times, as well as assisting them through the more difficult trading conditions of late. I look forward to advising anyone who feels they can benefit from a chat about their business finance.

I’m now 40 and have three wonderful children who take up much of most weekends, but I still love my sport. When I get spare time I enjoy football, although have had to accept that the ravages of time have caught up with me now. It’s not fun playing on a Sunday and I finding getting out of bed still a struggle on the Tuesday…”

Recently I’ve also turned to golf, but find it more frustrating than football, because I only have myself to blame if I lose!

I have developed a sound experience across the Midlands as a broker manager for a leading UK asset finance company. I now deal with many diverse industry sectors, including commercial vehicles and plant, arranging funding for MBO’s, phoenixes and acquisitions.

I aim to provide customers with multiple options to meet their needs and benefit their business. It is highly satisfying when you can provide a solution for someone who was previously struggling. I recently completed a £50k refinance for a scaffolding business, using the poles, boards and ladders as security! There was no other route to raise the necessary capital, but with a bit of negotiation we found a funder willing to take it on – a great result for all concerned.

My leisure time is spent mainly with wife Mandi and sons Ethan and Connor. A little golf and the occasional game of five-a-side comes into play, but most of my football aspirations are met by the claret and blue of Aston Villa.

I have over 30 years’ experience across all aspects of asset finance. Now in my fifties, I have lived and worked in Bristol, covering much of the southwest, following 20 years at Royscot Trust and Lombard.

I really enjoy concluding each individual case and networking extensively to make the vital connection. Latest deals included gaining funding for funeral cars costing around £300k, acquired with a 10% deposit over five years – I managed to fund these vehicles on a variable rate with the option to drop into a fixed rate at anytime. This saved the hirer nearly £200 per month on his rentals.

I’m a keen golfer, alongside my two teenage sons – both county players. I run the junior section at Henbury Golf Club, North Bristol, which requires a clear head for organizing, as well as keeping youngsters in check.

My favourite album is Blondie’s “Parallel Lines” and film-wise you can’t beat “Alien”, for its cliffhanger suspense and stunning finale.

My quarter century in the finance industry has been focused for the past 12 years on the asset finance sector through an employment history featuring positions at Royscot Trust Plc, Lombard and Bank of Scotland Asset Finance.

I seek funding solutions that perfectly meet the requirements of my customers by genuinely listening to their needs and understanding the business they are in and what they want to achieve.

Outside work I’m an avid follower of all things England within sporting fields – primarily football, cricket and boxing. I also spend much of my spare time relaxing with wife Rosemarie and dog Max (Mad), enjoying walking, eating and drinking.

I would say that my favourite film is “Shawshank Redemption” and favourite album is “Rattus Norvegicus” by The Stranglers.

I’ve always kept a firm focus on the wheels of the finance industry since I began work with a car-leasing specialist at 19.

Now 51, I have gained over 30 years sound experience, particularly in the funding of vehicles. Most recently I was a director and underwriter for the Hermes Group, a subsidiary of Singer and Friedlander Bank.

I joined crystal Business Finance in February 2009, having known the directors for a number of years and have continued to build on my reputation for establishing long-term relationships with every customer.

I have been married to Cathy for over 30 years and have two grown-up children. Our son lives on the north coast of Spain, which gives us a good excuse to visit as often as we can. Our daughter lives locally and last year made us far too young grandparents! Apart from grandson sitting, I still manage to play five-a-side football regularly and also enjoy cooking and dabbling in the garden.

My other particular interest is in cars (what else?) – I’ve nearly lost count of the number that I’ve owned over the years. It’s an ongoing fascination that I plan to keep rolling on…

I gained ten years’ in-depth industry experience working with Sovereign Finance and Hansar Finance, specialising in providing financial solutions, specifically to the commercial vehicle and bus and coach industries.

While my main focus remains with the bus and coach industry, at crystal Business Finance, I also work within other industry sectors to fund a wide range of assets: namely cars, commercial vehicles and plant equipment. The best aspect of my work is meeting new people and building long-term relationships, through which I can become a tried and trusted adviser to my clients. This approach is evident in my levels of repeat business.

I live in Cheshire with my wife Anne and while spare time is limited I like to make the most of it. As a member of The Prince Albert Fishing Society – Europe’s largest – I particularly enjoy the skill of fly-fishing. I am also furiously working on improving my golf handicap.

I really love to travel, often combining the pleasure with my hobbies; one memorable trip was to the island of Madera, where I was privileged to catch a 650lb Blue Marlin. My muscles still ache to this day!

The best aspect of my work with crystal Business Finance is being involved in all different areas of finance and getting to meet new clients. My aim is to achieve a high level of service to help clients with their business needs and maintain the relationship long term.

My interests away from work include my two young children, Lauren, aged 5 and baby Cameron, aged 1. My other priority is my band. A member of the Musicians’ Union, I am committed to my music and am busy playing every weekend, spending time with the children during the day and performing in the evenings.

If I had the money I would design and build my own house and travel the world. I also love golf, cricket and football, supporting Liverpool’s progress in Premier League.

My favourite albums are particularly eclectic, ranging from Chas ‘n’ Dave’s “Greatest Hits”, to Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall” and anything by Stevie Wonder. “A Few Good Men” still stands up as my favourite film.

I’ve been part and parcel of crystal Business Finance since the company was first launched, previously spending ten years as a leasing broker, and gaining widespread experience through numerous brokerages during that time.

With Crystal Business Finance I’ve never looked back – my main areas of expertise lying in being a specialist broker in the haulage industry. You will currently find me working in the Stevenage branch of the organisation.

Time out for me involves being with my 2 year old daughter Daisy. My other absorbing interests include boxing and football, which unfortunately earns me a thumbs-down from many Midlands-based colleagues in my ongoing bravery as a Gooner.”

I joined crystal in 2011 and believe the best part of my job has to be working with new and different people on a daily basis. I love finding solutions in these uncanny times that people did not realise were feasible.

After opening the office in Southampton, I am looking to build a strong customer, dealer and manufacture base across the South Coast. I have a great ‘Get up and Go’ attitude that I am sure everybody will appreciate, this supported by our national coverage will help stake our claim as the leading finance brokerage within the UK.

Away from work I am a keen sportsman playing a decent standard of football and cricket but a not so good standard of golf! To be honest if I’m not playing some kind of sport you can generally find me down the gym.

My Favourite football team is Southampton and during the summer months you will normally find me at the Rose Bowl, home of the mighty Hampshire Cricket Club.

Some of my favourite albums include Led Zeppelin – Presence and Kings Of Leon – Aha Shake Heartbreak, too be honest I am a sucker for music and all genres are welcome in my car!!!

My favourite film has to be Forest Gump and my favourite comedians are Lee Evans and Rhod Gilbert.

I have recently finished Paul Merson’s How Not to be a Professional Footballer; it was certainly an eye opener!

I joined crystal in 2011. I love the fact that every day brings a new challenge and no deal is ever the same. Meeting new people and gaining an insight into how different industries operate is also an interesting side to the job.

Apart from wanting to learn something new on a daily basis in order to grow as a subject matter expert, other aims include having a network of clients who call on me and my services on a regular basis and ensure the Crystal brand is the number one brand on the South Coast.

Away from work I am a football and tennis coach and I am also studying a Sport Science Degree at Bournemouth University part-time. I manage Ringwood Town under 12s and am also head coach at Ringwood Town under 18s. A lot of my hobbies revolve around sport having competed at a high level in cycling and football.

I am married to Kate and we have two children, Connor aged 11 and Gracie aged 4. Connor is a fantastic footballer and cricketer and Gracie is a future World Champion cyclist….or dancer….or actress…they both have many talents and there is never a dull moment in our house!!

My favourite football teams are Arsenal and Bournemouth, my favourite cyclists are the mighty Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins (British is Best!!)

Being a huge fan of music I have many…Oasis (What’s the Story Morning Glory), Coldplay (Parachutes) and even the odd bit of cheesy pop of which names I couldn’t possibly mention through fear of being ridiculed by my colleagues!!

My favourite films are Dumb and Dumber and American Pie (the first one) and favourite comedians include Lee Evans, Peter Kay and Michael McIntyre

When it comes to reading, it has to be anything to do with sport or sport science.

I have worked with crystal Business Finance for over two years now but it always feels like my first day as I never know what challenges the day will bring. I answer directly to the directors – Mike Austin, Martin James and Alex Callister.

I provide administrative assistance and generally look after the money. As crystal has grown the complexity of my roll has also increased. I previously worked as a paralegal dealing with road traffic accident/personal injury claims.

I am married to Mark and we  love climbing mountains (although I am NEVER doing Crib Goch again!!) and walking to countryside pubs. We like eating out in good restaurants with good food and service.

I am doing my first marathon in October 2011 in Chester. Wish me luck – I’m going to need all the luck I can get.  Training is now underway.  I also do street dance and I still cannot quite believe that I recently performed on stage to about 120 people.

When it comes to music I like a variety of artists – but if it’s a Friday night it has to be something you can sing along to and/or go berserk on the dance floor. “I love rock n roll” by Joan Jet hits the spot. My favourite films include “Shrek”  and “Shirley Valentine” – must have watched them 97 times.