More than two decades after graduating, Bath remains an important part of Ian's story. While here, he founded a football team and made lifelong friends, so many that their group trip to Greece totalled 58 people.
Since leaving, he built a strong career that has taken him to his current role – CEO Osprey Charging Network, of one of the UK’s largest EV charging networks.
Why did you choose to study at Bath?
When I applied, Bath was one of the top business schools in the country, and it was a choice between Bath or Cardiff. After seeing the facilities at the open day, there was simply no question.
It's staggering to think that 27 years on, Bath is still on top in terms of business, and that the campus has continued to transform into an even better environment than the one I enjoyed.
Did you have a particular career in mind during your course?
I wanted to work for a global brand, hence my application to the Volkswagen Group upon graduation, but regardless of the sector I wanted to use the skills I had learned during my time at Bath and on placements to be in the main room playing a role in influencing decisions on strategy and delivery.
Can you tell us about your experience of studying here? Any favourite memories, or places to go on campus and in the city? 
I feel so incredibly grateful for my time at Bath, because the community between the students was so special. Our nights out at Cadillacs on a Monday and Ts on a Friday were legendary, although the walks back up Widcombe Hill were less so!
The Management Balls were always special, and we still reminisce about the stories from those nights. As a sign of how good the community was, when we graduated in 2003 a group of 58 of us went on holiday together to Greece, creating some amazing memories.
Were you a part of any societies or sports clubs during your time at Bath? What did you enjoy most about them?
While at Bath I founded Team DBA (BBA) as a football team for the School of Management, this brought together a network across all years of the business school and gave me friends I am still in touch with today.
Describe your career journey since graduating. What is a typical day like in your current role?
Having worked at Volkswagen for seven years and then a clean-tech fund for another seven years – a role I secured through the Bath network – I have spent the last eight years as the CEO of Osprey Charging Network, a private-equity-backed nationwide network of EV rapid charging stations.
I joined the business when it was a start-up with just one employee and six charging stations, and today we are one of the UK’s largest networks with over 1,500 stations and 70 staff in our London HQ.
Working with our Board and Executive Team, I spend my days judging project investment decisions and optimising performance, steering the business towards sustainable profitability in a world of ever-changing geopolitical uncertainty.
What do you enjoy most about your career?
I am grateful that I am spending my career in an environment where my effort and decisions have a demonstrable impact on how the business is received by customers, employees and investors. I love working at the beginnings of a vibrant new sector, which will be a huge part of this country’s future way of life.
Has anything surprised you along the way?
I was quite naive about how important financial remuneration would be in later life when, alongside prioritising your career you also have to prioritise your family’s needs. With hindsight, I would have taken more career risks in my twenties and would have spent some time working and living abroad, when you have freedom that you don’t fully appreciate until you are later in your career.
How did your studies help to develop you?
There were a few specific elements that made a huge difference for my career. In first year, it became the norm to stand and present in front of 120 people, that really prepared me for public speaking.
The biggest impact came from the group projects. Five competing brains and egos, from different backgrounds, having to work in a collaborative manner and giving and accepting feedback was such a huge learning curve for everyone on the course, regardless of your confidence coming into the process.
My first placement was with Lloyds Bank in Bristol, and my second was with WH Smith, just after 9/11, when their travel business had been rocked by the impact on air travel.
Both placements taught me the reality of working in a real-world corporate environment. It's very different to what you get taught in textbooks on how business should be – and meant that I was already a relatively experienced hire, even as a graduate. It is for this reason that we hire Bath grads and undergrads in our business at Osprey today.
If you could go back in time to when you were a Bath student, how would you spend 24 hours?
I would start my day by going to the management lab to check my Bath emails (we didn't have them on
our phones in 2003), and to check the job boards for the latest placement and graduate opportunities. On many mornings this process was often just a cover story to just catch up with friends.
After morning lectures, we would head to the parade for lunch, and after the afternoon lectures we would then convene on the sports pitches by Eastwood for a game of football against one of the years below. After a quick meal and some coursework in the library, we would convene for a game of cards and drinks in one of the shared houses, before heading into Bath for a night out, all with a £10 note!
What advice would you give to prospective students thinking about studying your course at Bath?
Absolutely do it. Bath is one of the most amazing cities in Europe to live in, and the University will give you such a powerful network that will be valuable for decades to come.
When you get on placement or into the world of work, ask the leaders what it is about the best grads they have hired that makes them so good – and listen to this advice – the world of work is complex and challenging.
It is highly unlikely that the business you go into will work the way the textbooks say it does, or the way it looks from the outside – but Bath will give you the skills to adapt and succeed.
Respond
