Chris Martin’s promotion to director of venture investment and mergers and acquisitions at General Communication, a US-based phone company, in November followed a rapid transition into the company and use of his skills by his boss.
Laurel Buckner, vice-president of corporate venture investment and mergers and acquisitions at General Communication, said: “We recently made an investment with Microsoft Ventures [a $9m series B round for text assistant Zipwhip] and Chris’s financial acumen and insight played a key role in the investment.
“Chris has been able to leverage his background in investment banking and corporate development at Hulu and Starbucks into evaluating and investing in startups. He is curious about new technologies and is able to understand market dynamics and make sound investment decisions. He is a critical team member of our corporate venture investing group.
Martin joined General Communication in 2015 as a senior manager in Buckner’s team following two years at coffee retailer Starbucks and similar roles at online video company Hulu and Univar and a relatively short stint as an investment banking analysts.