Sir Ian Gibson (born 1947), is a British businessman and a former non-executive director of Northern Rock, a bank in the United Kingdom, at the time of the its nationalisation after the first bank run in over a century. He is the chairman of Wm Morrisons plc[1] and of the newspaper group Trinity Mirror,[2] owners of the Daily Mirror and a stable of regional publications.
Gibson was born in Manchester and has a degree in applied physics from UMIST.[3]
He started his career with the Ford Motor Company in 1969, working in the UK at Ford’s Hazelwood plant and at its sister assembly in Germany, Saarlouis Body & Assembly. In 1982 he left Ford and joined their rivals Nissan Motors where he became President of Nissan Europe (1999–2000).[4] He was made a CBE in 1990 and knighted in 1999.[5]
After the run on Northern Rock, the then chairman of Northern Rock the Hon Matt Ridley, chief executive Adam Applegarth and fellow non-exec Sir Derek Wanless were summoned before the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee and were asked by MP Michael Fallon whether any of them “know what’s happening at their own bank” and “Has no one any sense of honour?”.[6]
He has been twice married and divorced, firstly to Joy Musker, with whom he has two daughters and secondly to Sue Wilson, with whom he has a son.[7] He currently lives in York with his partner Jane Blackburn.