Ian Wrigglesworth

Who is Ian Wrigglesworth?

Sir Ian William Wrigglesworth is Treasurer of the Liberal Democrats, having previously been Deputy Chairman of the Government's Regional Growth Fund Advisory Panel which is Chaired by Lord Heseltine and appointed by the Government to consider bids. Sir Ian was born in Stockton-on-Tees and educated at Stockton Grammar School, Stockton-Billingham Technical College and the College of St. Mark and St. John, Chelsea. He was elevated to the House of Lords in August 2013

He is Chief Executive of a Gateshead based company and was Chairman of the Port of Tyne until August 2012. From 1995 to January 2009 he was the Executive Chairman of UK Land Estates and prior to that was Executive Deputy Chairman of the Teesside-based Livingston Group and an executive Director of its associate company Fairfield Industries. From 1996 until 2000 he was Chairman of the public policy company, Prima Europe and then chairman of its successor, GPC, after Prima was acquired by Omnicom. He has also been a non-executive director of a number of other private and public companies.

He was founder Chairman of the NewcastleGateshead Initiative, the private/public sector partnership responsible for the destination marketing of Newcastle and Gateshead and its bid for European Capital of Culture 2008, which was won by Liverpool. From 2005 to 2009 he was the Chairman of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead. Under his chairmanship the finances were restructured and the present caterers were appointed. His role was criticised for appointing controversial director Peter Doroshenko and stating that staff unrest against the director was a "storm in a teacup". A number of controversial exhibitions took place at that time. After Doroshenko's departure he was then responsible for the appointment of the current Director, Godfrey Wordsdale, and discussions with the University of Northumbria were begun which led to the current partnership between the two institutions.