Distinguished Leaders - Ian Lobley

Leading across cultures

Current position - Partner

Company - 3i (Private equity firm)

The Birmingham Business School Alumni Relations team is delighted to announce the launch of our exciting new Distinguished Leaders speaker series. High profile leaders from a range of industries across the world will reflect on their personal journey and discuss the qualities of a great leader.

Ian Lobley is a Partner of 3i – one of the world’s leading international investors focused on private equity, infrastructure and debt management.

After graduating from the University of Birmingham with a BSc in Chemical Engineering in 1984, Ian worked with BOC Group as a Site Engineer before joining 3i in 1987.  He has been a 3i Partner since 1994 and spent his career investing in businesses seeking to exploit technology or market advantage to achieve rapid growth.  With experience of start-ups through to public companies, Ian has focused on a number of themes including organic and acquisitive growth, internationalisation, management improvement, cultural shift, business recovery and exits through M&A, IPO and secondary sales.

Ian currently leads 3i’s Asset Management Group which manages investments in a range of companies across sectors and geographies.  He is also a Director of Bestinvest - one of the UK’s leading independent providers of wealth management and investment management services. 

Ian has been involved in many key deals including Sophos, anti-virus software, Merlin Communications, a spinout of the BBC World Service transmission business and The Cloud, Europe's leading WiFi provider.

Alongside investing and investment management responsibilities, Ian has had a series of leadership roles in geographic, sector and global partnership models within the construct of a FTSE 100 company.  These have included European Head of 3i Venture Capital and leading a global team which successfully managed and sold 3i’s venture investment portfolio in the technology and healthcare sectors around the world.

Ian is a member of the UK & European Capital Committee of the British Venture Capital and Private Equity Association and has served on various advisory boards including the European Objective One Programme, SVB Europe and the European Technology Forum.

Ian is married (to a University of Birmingham alumnus) with two daughters of 18 and 20.  He is a keen cyclist; following a racing career whilst at University, he retired from the sport for 27 years until a ‘comeback’ in 2010.