After departing active duty in the U.S. Navy in 2007, Ian began working in product and customer development spending time with New York Life Insurance Company, later building a maintenance business from the ground up leading to his time with Reeds Metals–a major metal building and component manufacturer–where Ian grew into the Project Operations Manager role for the main production facility implementing new and groundbreaking processes and personnel development. This led to increased sales and growth for the company, setting a baseline for future manufacturing sites policy and production procedures across the Southeast and Midwest.

He then shifted to hospitality and the beverage space, where as Craft Program Manager for a Budweiser-Busch distribution facility he oversaw a 300% growth to the portfolio of brands signed with the company in four years. Ian also helped to guide suppliers and the distribution network through the COVID pandemic with a scalpel, opposed to the hatchet approach to market. This led to 44% growth by developing marketing and branding concepts that were innovative and new looks to the entrenched strategies in play prior to the change in market.

During the final year of tenure with Bud-Busch of Mobile, Ian joined Oyster City Brewing Company with Darin and the team as the VP of Commercial Sales, helping usher in a model of growth and marketability that helped guide the brewery to a Top 50 standing by production in the country from No. 6,044 out of the nearly 9,000 craft beer companies in less than two years. He also oversaw a large sales team that eventually grew to cover the entire Southeast, and blended into four total brands–-Oyster City, Palmetto Brewing, Catawba Brewing, and Faubourg Brewing housed with 42 distributors across eight states of operation. 

Ensuring the right cheeks hit the right seats, developing human capital, and forging relationships at a high level have always been Ian’s passion and greatest asset to the companies he has served, as well as their personnel. Seeking out and securing partnerships with Learfield Sports (Florida State Official Partnership), The Jacksonville Jaguars, and the PGA–to name a few–have been hooks to hang his hat on this past half decade of service.