Ian was born and brought up in Dunfermline, Fife. He did his engineering training in the Royal Naval Dockyard, Rosyth, his management training with Philips Electrical then transferred to London to join Wall's Ice Cream. He stayed with them for thirty-four years, transferring in the late sixties to their head office in Gloucester and then into the biggest Ice Cream Factory in the World. Ian joined Rotary in 1981 and served as Club President in 1988-'89. Over the last 26 years he served on the District 1100 team as Secretary, Polio Partners Officer, Foundation Committee Secretary, Trainer, Conference Chairman, District Vice Chairman and Governor 1993-'94. Ian was presented with a Paul Harris Fellowship by District in 1998.

At RIBI he has served on the Executive Committee, the Rotaract Committee, (chairing that committee in 1996-'97), and the Conference Committee as Chief SAA. For Mike Webb he co-ordinated the "Hearing Dogs for Deaf People" project. He has been a discussion group moderator at four RIBI Assemblies and at the Belfast Conference in 2006 he was elected RIBI President for 2008-'09.

For Rotary International he was a member of the Rotaract Committee for three years and then chaired that committee in 1999-2000. He chaired the Rotaract pre Convention meetings in Glasgow and Buenos Aires. Ian has served on the Literacy Task Force, and as a Foundation Permanent Fund Advisor. He, with his wife Joan, has served as Deputy and Assistant Chief SAAs at the Conventions in Barcelona and Chicago and at the RI Assembly. He has also served on the Zone Institute Committees for Northampton, Cardiff and Birmingham. This year he will serve as Membership co-ordinator for Zone 18.

Both he and Joan are involved with the United Reformed Churches in Cheltenham. Joan is a serving Elder and Ian chairs the meetings of the Tuesday Forum. Joan is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Cheltenham Sunrise. Ian is a local and national trustee of Life Education Centres and has, for the last two years, organised their National Conference. For nearly three years he has been working with the Rural Community Councils as a quality adviser ensuring that their systems and procedures satisfied the parameters set by DEFRA.

In the little spare time he now has Ian enjoys sailing, gardening, and travelling. He and Joan have three married children and seven grandchildren strategically placed in various parts of England to look after their border collie, Jess, when they are on their travels.