Ian, who holds bachelors and masters degrees in electrical and electronic engineering from Nottingham University, joined the Naval Reserves in 1979 following a short career commission in the Regular Navy. Following his training at BRNC Dartmouth and on HMS FEARLESS, he served as a Regular in HMS COLLINGWOOD and HMS SULTAN, the two Naval Engineering lead schools, teaching engineering officers, artificers and mechanics.
As a Reservist he has spent most of his time working from HMS SHERWOOD in Nottingham, qualifying as a training manager, a communications specialist and a naval control of shipping specialist. In the latter role he spent some 12 years of reserve training, gaining experience in the Humber Ports, operating periodically from Pearson Park in Hull, where the URNU is now based. On promotion to Commander he became the senior reserve shipping officer in Scapa Flow and the merchant shipping advisor to Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland.
He commanded HMS SHERWOOD from 1991-94, following which he was appointed to the national staff to head up the embryonic RNR Logistics specialisation. He subsequently took responsibility for all the shore-based specialisations in the Reserve, before being appointed as President of the RNR Rifle Association, a post he held for six years, during which he presided over the naval reserve skill-at-arms meetings.
On promotion to Captain in 2001, he was appointed to the Senior Management Board of the RNR, initially as Director Personnel, then as Director Strategic Planning. Following the establishment of the Maritime Reserves organisation, he took responsibility for introducing a regional command structure for the RNR, and currently commands the Naval Reserve Regions in Northern England and Scotland and Northern Ireland on behalf of Commander Maritime Reserves. He was mobilised and deployed on operations in the Gulf in 2002. He has been Vice Chairman Navy on the National Council of the RFCAs since 2003. Appointed Aide-de-Camp to HM the Queen in 2008, he steps down from the RNR in September 2009.
In his civilian life, on leaving the Regular Navy in 1979 he joined Sheffield City Polytechnic (now Sheffield Hallam University). He was at the University for 27 years, as an engineering lecturer, Head of Department, then Head of all undergraduate programmes in Arts, Computing, Engineering and Sciences. He now commutes to Edge Hill University in Ormskirk (near Liverpool) where he is Professor of Engineering Education and Dean of Quality Enhancement. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering Technology and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.