Ian Livingston, Baron Livingston of Parkhead

British businessman (born 1964)

For those of a similar name, see Ian Livingstone (disambiguation).

The Right Honourable

The Lord Livingston of Parkhead

Official portrait, 2023

Minister of State for Trade and Investment
In office
11 December 2013 – 11 May 2015
Prime Minister| David Cameron
Preceded by| The Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint
Succeeded by| The Lord Maude of Horsham
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal

Incumbent

Assumed office
15 July 2013
Life Peerage
Personal details
Born|

Ian Paul Livingston

(1964-07-28) 28 July 1964 (age 60)
Glasgow, Scotland
Political party| Conservative
Spouse| Deborah (m. 1989)
Children| 2
Residence(s)| Elstree, Hertfordshire, England
Alma mater| University of Manchester
Occupation| Politician
Profession| Businessman

Ian Paul Livingston, Baron Livingston of Parkhead (born 28 July 1964),[1][2] is a Scottish businessman who was formerly chief executive of BT Group. A Conservative member of the House of Lords, he previously served as the UK government's Minister of State for Trade and Investment.[3]

He was created a life peer on 15 July 2013 taking the title Baron Livingston of Parkhead.[4]

## Early and personal life

[edit]

The fourth generation son of Polish-Lithuanian Jews who arrived in Scotland 120 years ago, Livingston's family owned a factory making flying jackets and police uniforms.[2] Livingston is the youngest of four children brought up in Kelvinside, his father was a general practitioner who practised medicine in Parkhead.[5]

Livingston was educated at Hillhead Primary School before attending the independent Kelvinside Academy. He married his university contemporary, Deborah, in 1989. They live in Elstree, Hertfordshire and have two children (one son, one daughter).[6]

## Career

[edit]

After graduating with an economics degree from the University of Manchester at the age of 19, he trained as an accountant with Arthur Andersen, where, on assignment, he became the first chief accountant of The Independent newspaper.[2] Livingston then moved to Bank of America, and then private equity firm 3i.

After being spotted by Sir Stanley Kalms, he moved to the corporate development department of Dixons Group in 1991, before becoming the youngest FTSE 100 finance director at the age of 32.[citation needed]

After the sale of Freeserve, Livingston joined BT Group as finance director, before he took up the post of CEO Retail, on 7 February 2005. He replaced Ben Verwaayen as Group CEO on 1 June 2008.[7]

Livingston was a non-executive director of Celtic F.C., where he was appointed to the board on 1 October 2007.[8] In 2015, after he voted for cutting tax credits, Celtic fans launched a petition to have him removed from the board.[9][10] Livingston resigned from the board in June 2017.[11]

Livingston became Chairman of Currys plc in August 2017 [12] and he served in that role until September 2022.

## Arms

[edit]

Coat of arms of Ian Livingston, Baron Livingston of Parkhead

Notes
Granted by the Lord Lyon. Letters patent illuminated by Maggie Spalding.[13]
Motto
More To Do

## References

[edit]

1. ^ http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/search/results/19468/Ian+Paul+Livingston+LIVINGSTON+OF+PARKHEAD.aspx. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)
2. ^ a b c "BT boss Ian Livingston faces tough calls". London: The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008.
3. ^ "Lord Livingston of Parkhead". UK Parliament.
4. ^ "Introduction of Lord Livingston of Parkhead - News from Parliament - UK Parliament". Parliament of the United Kingdom.
5. ^ "Monday profile: Ian Livingston, chief executive, BT". The Scotsman. 7 February 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
6. ^ "PolicyMogul". policymogul.com. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
7. ^ Blackden, Richard. "BT names Ian Livingston to succeed Ben Verwaayen". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 14 April 2008.
8. ^ "Celtic FC Board of Directors". Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 30 May 2008.
9. ^ Gall, Charlie (29 October 2015). "Celtic fans call for director to be booted out for voting for tax credit cuts". Daily Mirror.
10. ^ "Support for petition to sack Celtic director Lord Livingston over tax credits rises to 7500". HeraldScotland. 30 October 2015.
11. ^ "Termination of a Director Appointment". Companies House. 3 July 2017.
12. ^ "Lord Livingston to take over as chairman of Dixons Carphone". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
13. ^ "The Court of The Lord Lyon". Maggie Spalding. 28 July 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Lord Livingston of Parkhead – UK Parliament
* Lord Livingston of Parkhead - www.gov.uk

Business positions

Preceded by

Ben Verwaayen

|  Chief Executive of BT Group
2008-2013  | Succeeded by

Gavin Patterson

Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by

The Lord Berkeley of Knighton

|  Gentlemen
Baron Livingston of Parkhead | Followed by

The Lord King of Lothbury

Media related to Ian Livingston, Baron Livingston of Parkhead at Wikimedia Commons

* v
* t
* e

Currys plc

Current brands|

* Advent Computers
* Carphone Warehouse
* Currys
* Elkjøp
* Elding
* Elgiganten
* Elko
* Gigantti
* Lefdal
* Geek Squad
* Goji
* ID Mobile
* Kotsovolos
* Logik
* Partmaster.co.uk
* Sandstrøm

Former brands|

* Currys Digital
* Dixons
* Dixons Travel
* DSG International
* DSGi Business
* Equanet
* Electro World
* Freeserve
* Freetalk
* Hygena at Currys
* Inmac
* The Link
* Markantalo
* Mastercare Commercial Services
* Matsui
* MicroWarehouse / MacWarehouse
* Miranda
* PC City
* PC World
* Phone House
* Pixmania
* Prinz / Prinztronic
* Saisho
* Team Knowhow
* Unieuro

Key people|

* Ian Livingston (chairman)
* Alex Baldock (chief executive)
* Sebastian James
* Sir Charles Dunstone
* Sir John Collins
* Charles Kalms
* Lord Kalms of Edgware

Authority control databases: People |

* UK Parliament

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template