Ian Thompson is the judge of the Thompson Real World Prize.
He is the founder of Thompson and has been in charge since its inception in 1984. From the outset, his specific expertise has undeniably been in brand development.
He has accumulated experience in a fairly broad range of sectors - from financial brands such as HBOS, Barclays and National Australia Bank Group, to retailers like Harvey Nichols, The Arcadia Group and Debenhams. He also enjoys the particularly complex branding issues of the public sector, and has worked for The Department of Health, Regional Development Agency, Yorkshire Forward and more recently NHS Direct and standards Board for England. On the business to business front, Ian has managed the brand roll-outs for global healthcare company Smith and Nephew and has developed the brand for furniture group Symphony.
Ian is still an active designer and is a campaigner for the power of design in business, especially in Yorkshire and his hometown of Leeds.
Ian sits on the board of Metal, a major Arts company headed up by Artistic Director Jude Kelly OBE. He has also spearheaded re-brands for West Yorkshire Playhouse, Watford Palace Theatre, Northern Ballet Theatre and Phoenix Dance Theatre. He also played a role in the 2012 London Olympic bid, developing the proposition for the Culture and Education section.
More recently Ian has headed up branding programmes for ‘Inspired’ The Science Museum Swindon, The Dartington Trust, Robert Horne Group, and The National Media Museum. He is currently developing the brand for London’s Southbank Centre.
