Having graduated in Transport and Industrial Design from Coventry University, Ian’s initial career path started in automotive design where he was the first Englishman to work for Mercedes Benz design studio in Sindelfingen ( Germany). Returning to the UK, Ian founded acumen in 1981 as a multidisciplinary design consultancy where he started designing for one of his childhood passions in the marine and yacht industry. In these early years Ian went into partnership with the Interior and Graphic design practice ‘Murdoch Design Associates Ltd’, and soon became a named inventor on patents spanning many industry sectors.
In a career spanning more than 40 years, his inventive spirit and commitment to innovation is the bedrock of the acumen brand. Ian has enjoyed award-winning success in a wide range of industry sectors from marine to aerospace, FMCG, life science, architecture and high-performance products. Ian has consistently challenged the status quo in each industry sector he has worked in and enjoys a reputation for being the named inventor behind many international patents that have delivered market-leading commercial success for his clients. Ian has always believed in pushing the frontiers of innovation and has always had an innovation arm to the company (Acumen Innovations Ltd.), where he has nurtured speculative ground-breaking projects that have been taken through to commercial reality. With a broad market knowledge and strong brand awareness, Ian brings a unique perspective and insight to any new product development program aiming to achieve market leadership.