Martin Long (businessman)

Martin Long (born 26 August 1950) is a businessman and founder of Churchill Insurance.

Career

edit

Long began his career working in a number of insurance companies. He went on to become managing director of Halifax Insurance.[1]

Together with Peter Wood, he founded Direct Line in 1985, the first telephone-only insurance company in the UK.[2] Four years later, Long broke away to form Churchill, a company he would manage himself until its purchase by the Royal Bank of Scotland in 2003,[3] a deal that is said to have earned Long £50 million.[2] He retained his job of running Churchill until 2004, when he left to set up his own property company.[2]

Long was also one of the owners of Crystal Palace Football Club, holding 25% of the club's shares.[4] After American investors Josh Harris and David Blitzer made a deal with Crystal Palace F.C., Long now holds 2.5% with the Americans and Steve Parish being the majority share holders.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Luxury Homes Surrey, Property Developers Surrey, Luxury Property Kent, Churchill Properties". www.churchill-properties.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "Business big shot: Martin Long, of Churchill Properties", The Times
  3. ^ "Royal Bank of Scotland buys Churchill insurance", The Independent 11 June 2003, accessed 11 March 2014
  4. ^ "Long live Crystal Palace" Archived 2011-02-01 at the Wayback Machine, Daniel Jones, This is Croydon Today