Chris Cook-Martin

Chris Cook-Martin is a Business Development Partner at AAB, where he works with
business owners, entrepreneurs and leadership teams across Manchester, Bolton and the
North West.
Chris sits at the intersection of relationships, opportunity and expertise. His role is to
understand what a business is really trying to achieve, whether that’s growth, succession,
investment or change, and connect them with the right specialists across AAB’s full range of
services, from tax and audit to corporate finance and restructuring.
"I’ve always been fascinated by business owners’ stories," he says. "How they started, what
they’ve built, what drives them. When you understand someone’s journey, you can align
them with what they actually need, not just what they ask for."
That relationship-led approach has become his trademark. Rather than pushing for speed,
Chris focuses on clarity: listening carefully, building trust and bringing the right people
together at the right time. He works across all sectors, drawing on AAB’s specialists in family
business, food & drink, technology and beyond to give clients joined-up advice rather than a
set of separate departments.
Honesty, he says, is non-negotiable. "Long-term partnerships aren’t built on transactions,
they’re built on trust, transparency and consistency. That means being clear when
something isn’t the right fit, as well as when it is."
Chris recently supported a client through a complex M&A process, helping them pause,
weigh their options and bring in the right specialists at the right moment. "Being told, ‘This
deal wouldn’t have happened without you,’ was a powerful reminder of what a calm,
structured approach can achieve."
He pushes back on the idea that business development is "just sales." "It’s about building
understanding and long-term value. Helping businesses navigate complexity without
overwhelming them takes judgement and patience, not a sales script."
Looking ahead, Chris is focused on deepening his sector knowledge and exploring how AI
and other tools can support better decision-making for clients, while keeping the same
principle at the centre of everything he does: put the client first, build trust, and the outcomes
follow.