Ian’s modest upbringing in Chopwell Woods, Hookergate instilled in him an early drive and ambition to seize all of life’s opportunities. His journey took him into academia and a PhD at Durham University, onto the professional tennis ladder and out to Hong Kong as a Royal Naval officer.

Ian returned from travels to his North East roots and set about building a business and making a home for himself and his family in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Ian is the heart of Adderstone Group. His adventure began in 1994 with a £2,000 inheritance from his grandmother, a geography dissertation on 'Student accommodation in and around Durham', a £13,000 loan from Northern Rock and many months of hard labour renovating former miner's cottages in Bowburn, County Durham.

Twenty years later, Adderstone Group has developed or holds over 1.3 million sq. ft of commercial floorspace, created homes for 2,691 people, contributed £445m via construction projects and created 10,330 construction and supply chain jobs, as well as contributing £495,502 to good causes via the Adderstone Foundation*.

*Stats to December 2018. Independently produced by Lichfields Planning Consultants