Martin Ballinger

Martin Andrew Stanley Ballinger (19 November 1943 – 28 February 2007) was one of the founders of Go-Ahead Group, one of the United Kingdom's largest transport companies.

Career

Born in Peterborough and educated at the Salesian School at Chertsey and Imperial College, London, Martin Ballinger qualified as a management accountant while working at the National Bus Company.^[1] He became a General Manager there in 1982.^[1] On the privatisation of the National Bus Company in 1987 he founded Go-Ahead Group in a management buyout^[2][3] and, as its first Chief Executive, led its initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange in 1994,^[4] and built it into one of the United Kingdom's largest transport businesses.^[5]

Ballinger retired from Go-Ahead Group in May 2004.^[6][7][8] In retirement Ballinger became Chairman of the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust and Chairman of Northgate.^[1]

Ballinger lived at Bolam Hall (the former home of the Beresford family) in Northumberland.^[1] He died at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle upon Tyne on 28 February 2007 and, following a funeral at St Mary's Cathedral, Newcastle upon Tyne, he was buried at Bolam Churchyard in Bolam.^[1] Following his death, his successor at the Go-Ahead Group commented on Ballinger's significant contribution to the development of the UK passenger transport industry.^[9]

The Ballinger family, led by Martin Ballinger, became one of the wealthiest families in the North East of England.^[10] The Ballinger Charitable Trust, founded by Martin and Diana Ballinger, is a major a major vehicle for philanthropy in the North East of England, and remains one of the largest grant-making foundations there.^[11][12][13]

Family

In 1968, he married Diana Susan Edgoose and together they went on to have a daughter, and then a son.^[1]