Episode Description
Ian has spent 45 years in the music industry, managing Simply Red, Simple Minds, The Pretenders, and Suede. He started at 17 with a boot full of vinyl and a two-litre Cortina, driving 1,200 miles a week as a sales rep.
He went on to oversee the biggest self-released album in history - Simply Red's Home, which outsold most Taylor Swift records and still holds the record today!
But Ian's story isn't just about music.
It's about what happens when a founder tries to exit a business built entirely on relationships, trust, and instinct. After a bruising experience selling 50% to Live Nation and rejecting a buyout offer before his plane left the runway at Heathrow, Ian found a route almost nobody in his world had heard of - and it changed everything.
This is a conversation about sliding doors moments, creative courage, knowing when enough is enough, and an exit strategy that let him cash out, stay involved, and reward every person who helped him build it.
This podcast is produced by Tribunista
Sponsored by Capital Asset Management