Ian has been a partner with international law firm Allen and Overy for over 20 years. He has spent his entire career with the firm as a corporate lawyer and became a trustee of the Young Foundation in March 2010.

He has been a boardroom adviser to UK and US corporate clients and has also been involved in promoting Allen & Overy as a business and managing the firm's life sciences practice and its insurance practice group. He is chairman of the trustees of the firm's staff pension scheme. He also sits on the advisory board of the M&A research centre of Cass Business School.

At the Young Foundation Ian has provided advice on several projects including Health Launchpad and also Learning Launchpad projects.