Ian Clarke

Background

About Ian Clarke

I completed a long and successful naval career in April 2023, now the Director, Business Development and Client Relations with Sirius Insight. A recently retired Royal Navy captain with over 30 years of service, I have a proven ability to adjust to new and challenging environments by understanding the landscape and linkages quickly. A motivated leader with values, commitment and personal resilience, I put people and trust at the heart of my approach. I adapt my style according to the situation and have experience of building diverse teams in different contexts. I take responsibility for delivering maximum results with minimum fuss, with a collaborative approach to strategy development and business planning. I foster a positive workplace, being a curious, analytical and supportive colleague. I have recent strategic-level experience in diplomacy and cross-government coordination (at Board-level in a major UK Embassy/diplomatic mission). I am skilled at managing multi-stakeholder relationships, securing insight and influence, representing positions and listening to feedback. My experience includes effective communicating across a range of audiences including politicians, senior officials and media, plus good 2-way internal information flow. A believer in continuous development, I am educated to Masters level (MSc in Technology (Maritime Operations) and MA in Defence Studies) and can speak Spanish to a functional level. During my transition from the Navy, I also completed a Chartered Management Institute Level 8 Certificate in Strategic Direction and Leadership at the Alliance Manchester Business School, and a Director Development Programme with In-Professional Development and the University of Chester.