Ian Livingston, Baron Livingston of Parkhead

For those of a similar name, see Ian Livingstone (disambiguation).
The Right Honourable
The Lord Livingston of Parkhead
Livingston at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, 2013
Minister of State for
Trade and Investment
Incumbent
Assumed office
11 December 2013
Preceded by Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint
Personal details
Born Ian Paul Livingston
28 July 1964
Glasgow, UK
Political party Conservative and Unionist
Occupation Politician
Profession Businessman;
CEO BT Group

Ian Paul Livingston, Baron Livingston of Parkhead (born 28 July 1964),[1][2] is a Scottish businessman who was formerly chief executive of BT Group. A Conservative member of the House of Lords, he currently serves as a UK Government Minister.[3]

On 19 June 2013, Livingston announced his departure from BT to take up a new role as Minister for Trade and Investment in HM Government,[4] replacing Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint.[5] He was created a Life Peer on 15 July 2013 taking the title Baron Livingston of Parkhead.[6]

Early and personal life

The fourth generation son of Polish-Lithuanian Jews who arrived in Scotland 120 years ago, Livingston's family owned a factory making flying jackets and police uniforms.[2] Brought up at Kelvinside, his father was a retired General Practitioner who practised medicine in Parkhead. The youngest of four children: his oldest brother serves as a Sheriff of Glasgow; the second son is a partner in an accountancy firm; and his sister is a Professor of Psychiatry at University College, London.

Livingston was educated at Hillhead Primary School before attending the independent Kelvinside Academy, where he won a Royal Bank of Scotland fantasy share-investment competition, turning £10,000 into £30,000 in just 10 months.[7]

Livingston married in 1989, his university contemporary, Deborah. Lord and Lady Livingston live at Elstree, Hertfordshire, with their two children (one son, one daughter).[7]

Career

After graduating with an Economics degree from the University of Manchester at the age of 19, he trained as an accountant with Arthur Andersen, where, on assignment, he became the first chief accountant of The Independent newspaper.[2] Livingston then moved to Bank of America, and then private-equity firm 3i.

After being spotted by Sir Stanley Kalms, he moved to the corporate development department of Dixons Group in 1991, before becoming the youngest FTSE 100 finance director at the age of 32. Under then CEO John Clare, Livingston became key in creating PC World and the broadband provider Freeserve.[7]

After the sale of Freeserve, Livingston joined BT Group as Finance Director, before he took up the post of CEO Retail, on 7 February 2005. He replaced Ben Verwaayen as Group CEO on 1 June 2008.[8]

Livingston is a non-executive director of Celtic F.C., where he was appointed to the board on 1 October 2007.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Debrett's People of Today
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "BT boss Ian Livingston faces tough calls". London: The Sunday Times.
  3. ↑ www.parliament.uk
  4. ↑ "BT chief Ian Livingston quits to become trade minister". London: Telegraph.
  5. ↑ Garside, Juliette. "BT chief executive exits to become trade minister". The Guardian (London).
  6. ↑ "Introduction of Lord Livingston of Parkhead - News from Parliament - UK Parliament". Parliament of the United Kingdom.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "City Profile: BT's Ian Livingston". Evening Standard.
  8. ↑ Blackden, Richard. "BT names Ian Livingston to succeed Ben Verwaayen". The Daily Telegraph (London).
  9. ↑ Celtic FC Board of Directors

External links

Business positions
Preceded by
Ben Verwaayen		 Chief Executive of BT Group
June 2008 – 		Succeeded by
Gavin Patterson


Media related to Ian Livingston at Wikimedia Commons