Sir John Martin Kirby Laing (born 18 January 1942) is a British entrepreneur in the construction industry. Martin Laing was executive chairman of

John Laing plc John Laing Group plc is a British investor, developer and operator of privately financed, public sector infrastructure projects such as roads, railways, hospitals and schools through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Private Finance Initiative ...

, the firm founded by his great-great-grandfather James Laing (1816–1882), but resigned in 2001 when the company faced major losses in its construction business, ending 152 years and five generations of family management. He is the son of Sir William Kirby Laing (born 1916) and the grandson of Sir John William Laing (1879–1978). He was educated at

St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate St Lawrence College is a co-educational independent school situated in Ramsgate, Kent and has been established as a " public school" ever since it was founded. History The college was founded in 1879 as South Eastern College (colours: gold ...

and Emmanuel College, Cambridge. In 1985 he succeeded his father Sir Kirby Laing as chairman of John Laing plc. His uncle, Sir Maurice Laing, had also been chairman. He was

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

ed in the

New Year Honours 1997 The New Year Honours 1997 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countrie ...

for services to the construction industry. In the ''

Sunday Times Rich List 2008 The ''Sunday Times'' Rich List 2008 was published on 27 April 2008. Since 1989 the UK national Sunday newspaper ''The Sunday Times'' (sister paper to ''The Times'') has published an annual magazine supplement to the newspaper called the ''Sunda ...

'' ranking of the wealthiest people in the UK he was placed 472nd with an estimated fortune of £175 million.''Sunday Times Rich List 2008'' online edition
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References

Sources

Burke's Peerage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laing, Martin 1942 births Living people Presidents of the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers British businesspeople Businesspeople awarded knighthoods Knights Bachelor People educated at St Lawrence College, Ramsgate Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Deputy Lieutenants of Hertfordshire