Ian Watson Email & Phone Number

Ontario, Canada

Providing CFO services to this new business which works with clients to make and distribute robots and related services. Real Life's flagship platform, BUBS, is a fully customizable solution for cargo & last-mile delivery applications. Real Life's team can fit their platform to unique business automation needs.

London Area, United Kingdom

Reappointed as a non executive director of this organisation which was set up to provide grants and loans to social enterprises. See below for initial appointment.

Surrey, England, United Kingdom

Treasurer of an organisation which promotes fellowship among men of the parish.

Surrey, England, United Kingdom

Non executive director at this charity which is helping children and young people in Surrey to feel safe, heard and supported now and in the future. Eikon helps young people develop the skills they need to live their best life and works with families and professionals to make sure everyone gets the support they need.

Multiple non executive roles in this UK charity whose objects are providing treatment, care and rehabilitation related to those impacted by a dependence upon, addiction to, or misuse of drugs and or alcohol, and education related thereon.

Surrey, England, United Kingdom

Chair of this successful charity which re-engages young people with learning and an aim of ultimately establishing a foundation for onward progression into education, training and employment by building on communication skills, teamwork, resilience and self-esteem.

England, United Kingdom

Independent Committee member of this housing services provider that has been active since 1959. Salvation Army Homes is a specialist in supported accommodation and homes across England.

Woking, United Kingdom

Chief Executive Officer of a privately owned consultancy business. Most clients are going through change. Roles mainly involve providing assistance in developing business plans / strategies; dealing with operational efficiency and change ; financial and commercial due diligence; managing strategic transactions, including performance monitoring; and sourcing and the effective investment of capital. Provides services, including non executive directorships, to a number of organisations.

Trustee of this UK trust whose objects were advancing education, providing financial assistance and supporting research at the Canadian university as well as providing bursaries to its medical students. The Trustees resolved to dissolve the Trust. The remaining assets represented by the accumulated fund, were transferred to McMaster University.

London Area, United Kingdom

See separate entry for details of Homeless Link. Reappointed to the Board and as Treasurer, on an interim basis, to fill the gap created by the departure of the Treasurer.

Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom

Appointed as non executive director of this organisation when it was acquired by Phoenix (see separate entry) to help to ensure a smooth transition. Ley provides residential care activities for the relief of sickness and destructive behaviour of women caused by the use of drugs, alcohol and other substance abuse.

London Area, United Kingdom

Non executive director of an organisation going through considerable change. Parasol is a registered provider of specialised supported housing. Formally left the Board in November 2023, however stayed on Audit and Risk Committee to assist during hand over period.

Non executive director of this organisation which was set up to provide grants and loans to social enterprises.

London, United Kingdom

Treasurer at this leading organisation who supports people who are sleeping rough in the heart of London, helping them to recover and find their way off the streets. In Ian’s time the business underwent a successful merger and continued to be a leader in its field despite significant cuts in statutory funding.

Senior Non-Executive Director, Chairman of the Audit Committee and member of the Remuneration and Risk Committees of this UK business that provided integrated solutions for the value-based management of customer relationships and, in particular, credit management processes. Member of the Irish subsidiary Board until December 2017.

London, United Kingdom

In Ian's time the organisation went through two very successful mergers, successfully provided £20 million in grants via the Homeless Transition Fund and grew its social enterprises in IT, training and consultancy. Homeless Link Social Investment Limited was set up to provide grants and loans to social enterprises.

London, United Kingdom

Trustee and member of the following Committees: Finance and Resources; Investments; Pensions (Chair); and the Property Working Group (Chair). In his time at Independent Age, the charity was completely modernized whilst continuing to honour its commitments to those who were supported financially at the start.

Jersey

Member of the Investment Committee and provided services to the EMF New Europe Insurance Fund which was been established to pursue investment opportunities in the insurance sector in Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and other non-EU countries in Eastern and South Eastern Europe. During this period acted a non executive director to Unico Sigorta (Turkey, 2014 - 2017), Daliahill Limited (Cyprus / Ukraine, 2014 - 2015) and Virtu Group (Russia / Netherlands, 2014).

London, United Kingdom

Appointed Chief Executive of a (re)insurance company (City) and Chairman of an investment / services vehicle (Cobex). City, when they were purchased by Private Equity to be professionally wound up, required the unwinding of an extremely complex pooling arrangement involving international (re)insurance business and claims from around the world. The companies were both ultimately liquidated with a successful return to the investors.

Cayman Islands

Appointed as non-executive director of two (re)insurance businesses when the group was acquired by private equity. The business had accepted a significant amount of quota share business (mainly environmental and motor classes) and had a related investment / services vehicle. The role was to assist in restructuring the business and taking it through to dissolution, with a successful return to the investors.

Insurance Director, investigating and advising on opportunities to invest in businesses in the insurance and reinsurance sectors that required restructuring. Responsible for the highly creative and profitable deployment, in a number of transactions. Appointed as a non-executive director of the acquired businesses. In all cases, there was a need for creative change management skills, mainly in relation to prior underwriting / claims activities, and close interaction with service providers.

Operational Director, whose main roles were to investigate investment opportunities in the (re)insurance sectors and oversee those investments. Provided extensive restructuring assistance to both owned and third party companies. He acted as Compliance Officer to the regulated broker.and as a Trustee to a pension fund that was being wound up.

Various

Worked in Hamilton and Toronto Canada; Auckland NZ; Bristol and London UK.Specialized in the restructuring of (re)insurance businesses. His roles included, advising and investigating (re)insurers and service providers on range of matters, including operational dispute resolution; provision of interim assistance; due diligence and restructuring advice; and the very successful management / restructuring of an outsourcing / advisory business.

Mba

Ba, Economics

Education record

Chartered Accountant