Alumni Business Person of the Year and Small Business of the Year entrant – Martin Barker and Qualsurv Marine Consulting Ltd

Alumni Business Person of the Year and Small Business of the Year entrant – Martin Barker and Qualsurv Marine Consulting Ltd
Posted on 08.06.25
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Alumni Business Person of the Year and Small Business of the Year entrant – Martin Barker and Qualsurv Marine Consulting Ltd

In the decades since Martin Barker graduated from University of Staffordshire he has delivered complex infrastructure and marine projects around the world, led negotiations for contracts exceeding £1 billion, successfully defended more than $200 million in international adjudication and arbitration claims and contributed to landmark legal cases.

His expertise spans engineering, construction, marine salvage and dispute resolution, including acting as the Contracts Manager for the Costa Concordia salvage operation and Project Director and Lead Engineer on the Dornier 17z recovery, which made front page news in 52 countries.

Since founding Qualsurv Marine Consulting Ltd in 2019, Martin has led the company to become a trusted commercial advisor on more than 30 major offshore wind projects worth more than £50 billion in combined contract value.

His leadership has taken the business from a local startup to an international consultancy delivering critical services across the UK, Europe, Taiwan and the USA.

From modest offices in Stoke-on-Trent, Qualsurv is the now the world’s leading contracts management consultant in the offshore windfarm construction industry.

Martin credits University of Staffordshire as the place that nurtured both his technical confidence and entrepreneurial instincts. He has never stopped pushing boundaries, and Qualsurv is proof of how Staffordshire talent can lead globally.

Martin said: “My greatest achievement isn’t the scale of the projects. but showing that world-class businesses can be built from Stoke-on-Trent, and stay here.”

Martin Barker has entered the Alumni Business Person of the Year category of University of Staffordshire Business Awards and has entered Qualsurv Marine Consulting Ltd into the Small Business of the Year category.

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