Martel will lead investments into renewable energy technology companies and advise portfolio companies on exit strategy having previously spent nine years as a strategic investor within large international corporations and two years providing advice to clients undertaking strategic investment, including France-based Areva.

Payman Saebi, general manager of ventures at UK-based logistics company Royal Mail Group, has left to work at local phone operator BT as head of strategy.

Ritz had effectively been responsible for n?w business development at Swisscom and also in charge of its corporate venturing unit, Swisscom Ventures headed by Dominique Megret.

David Colclough has joined as an investment director of the Business Growth Fund while Neil Inskip is an investment manager, with both based in the Manchester office run by regional director Andy Gregory.

Davis joined J&J in 1984 after working for healthcare peers and since January 2008 was responsible for the management and efforts of both JJDC and the internal Johnson & Johnson ventures group, Redscript Ventures.

Bart Schachter was vice-president of corporate business development and mergers and acquisitions at National, the division incorporating corporate venturing, from 2009 to its merger with chip peer Texas Instruments.

The US-based computer company recruits Jim Lussier from Norwest to head up its corporate venturing unit.

Welcome to the Global Corporate Venturing analysis of 2011, where we pick out the biggest themes as decided by the people who count - the corporate venturing heads and those in the related ecosystem.

The venture capital and entrepreneur respondents to a NVCA/Dow Jones survey also tip Barack Obama to win next year's US election, with Mitt Romney expected to win the Republican nomination.