Ian Forber joined the Ministry of Defence in 1989 and worked in a variety of policy, procurement and international relation roles. These include: Director General Nuclear, Head of Iraq Policy and Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Defence. He was also Head of Defence and Counterproliferation in the Cabinet Office, where he led work on the Trident Alternatives Review, UK Space Policy and defence exports. Ian particularly enjoyed the opportunities to work closely with Cabinet Ministers and assist directly in decision making that shaped the security, prosperity and international political position of the United Kingdom. In addition to defence policy, as a senior member of the Government Policy Profession, Ian worked to improve the skills of policy civil servants by working with King’s College London to develop and deliver post-graduate modules on broader public policy skills. He has a degree in Chemistry from the University of Exeter, an MA in International Studies from Kings College London and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the London School of Economics. He is currently an Honorary Professor at King’s College London.
I work in international scholarships and would describe my area of work as a combination of charity and cultural diplomacy.
After graduating from Exeter in 1974 and being called to the Bar a year later, I emigrated to Boston, in the United States. I worked for one of the large Boston law firms for 5 years, then joined a private wealth management firm where I spent 35 years managing portfolios for individuals and families. I returned to the UK in 2019 and now live in Edinburgh, Scotland. I am a Home Tutuor for an ESOL student in Edinburgh, and I support a student at the Law School and a PhD student at the Medical School.