Martin Alcock is the man travel companies call when the regulatory rulebook meets the messy reality of running a business, and things get complicated.

As owner and managing director of Travel Trade Consultancy, Martin helps travel firms, lenders and investors navigate the financial, regulatory and strategic challenges that keep CEOs awake at night. Whether it's steering boards through major M&A decisions or untangling regulatory problems that have become urgently inconvenient, Martin brings clarity, pragmatism and a welcome dose of straight-talking expertise to the table.

His credentials run deep: a qualified Chartered Accountant trained at PricewaterhouseCoopers, followed by time in the ATOL department at the Civil Aviation Authority, where he saw first-hand how regulation and business reality collide. It's this blend of technical rigour and frontline experience that makes him one of the UK travel industry's most trusted advisors.

As a speaker, Martin has a rare gift for making complex business issues accessible, engaging and genuinely entertaining. He draws on real stories from the sharp end of the industry, delivered with wit and humanity that cuts through the jargon.

Martin also brings extensive experience to moderating conferences and events, and is equally engaging as a panellist.

His insights regularly reach national audiences through BBC News (mainly the 5 a.m. slots that Simon Calder doesn't fancy), The Telegraph, The Times and The Wall Street Journal, alongside specialist publications like TTG, Travel Weekly and Skift.

Having reluctantly abandoned his dream of playing lead guitar for an international rock band, Martin now moonlights as an under-appreciated taxi driver for his two daughters. Fortunately, decades as a Sunderland supporter have equipped him with exceptional resilience in the face of disappointment.