He was the Cathedral School’s Badminton champion, Hockey centre half blue at both school level and at University as also Football and represented school and college as a mean Boxer. He always believed that a keen sportsman has the qualities of resourcefulness, resilience and the will to succeed. These facets of his character have held him in good stead throughout his life.
In academia, he was above average but his passion was History and obtained in his final year the Open house Barham Prize for History.
Mr. Marshall’s entrepreneurial skills emerged at a very young age as he was already organizing Badminton tournaments in Mumbai, in which multinational corporations including Hindustan Levers, ESSO, Caltex and the Tata Group of Companies participated. His involvement in these sports and the organization of such events imparted a competitive edge along with a versatile and resourceful will to endeavor, especially given the fact that his father Joe Marshall, a human dynamo passed away suddenly when Samuel was just 20 participating in an Olympics in Israel.
He is considered the doyen of the commodity trading business in India, and his success has been illustrated by the fact that more than 500 of his former trainees are now successfully running their own companies around the world in countries such as Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Japan, Philippines, Brazil, Argentina, United States and Europe.
He has received Awards both from the Grain / Pulses International Association recognizing his services rendered to the Industry.8
Also Global Edible Oil Industry Award for services rendered by me and declared as the Father of the World Edible Oil Trade.
He setup a brokerage company in Mumbai called Marshall Produce, emigrated to London, setup Marpro Limited with offices in over 25 countries and became market leaders and No.1 in the world in Edible Oils. We were pioneer brokers in exports of Canadian, Australian, Turkish and Myanmar pulses to India establishing a good market share.
In 1986 the Singapore Government pulled him out of London to set up a Division with the Govt Body to deal in CounterTrade, Barter Trade,Offsets Buybacks in which Sam Marshall became an authority delivering lectures and developed the markets of Vietnam ,Indonesia,Kampuchea and commenced export Business successfully in Rice,Maize,Pulses and Myanmar Agri Produce.
Whether playing Tennis or clinching a trade, he never gave up and persistence were his virtues and the will to win.
He overcame a quadruple by-pass and a surgery for cancer of the esophagus where he lost half his stomach but he remained daunting.
“Impossible” and “tired” were words that did not exist in his vocabulary.
He also never gave up learning. In the past 10 years since taking a back seat in the commodities business he has moved successfully into Construction, Security and Event Management business. His Group were involved in training of Force-1 Pune Commandos.
His abiding passion has always been Sport and he has led 6 teams (4 from India and 2 from Singapore) to the Olympics which takes place every 4 years in Israel which is now rated as the 5th largest of such gathering of world Athletes from over 70 countries. He earned himself a Silver medal in Veteran Squash and his Indian team secured a Silver medal in Cricket.
He was one of the lucky ones to have left the Taj Mahal & Palace Hotel just 15 minutes before the terrorists started their massacre – 26.11.2008. Rabbi Gaby & his wife and Moishe were very close to me. I do remain in very close contact with the Rabbis family and in particular the growth of Moishe the child.
In conclusion with the International Commodity Trade his passion he has extended his operation opening up in the UAE primarily focusing on the Middle East and African Markets. For him the pleasure is in exploring and enjoying every new challenge which is remarkable for a man who has been in the International Commodity Trade for over 60 years guiding and inspiring so many. May he be blest with many more active years.