Ian Stickland

As CEO Ian provides global leadership overseeing growth, finance and contracts. He also leads our Experience team, helping to deliver extraordinary projects and programs that create outstanding guest experiences through technology, space and storytelling.

As CEO, it’s my responsibility to lead the talented Charcoalblue team. My background in music, technology and theatre informs my fascination of the point where art meets science and creates a space for meaningful experiences. Originally I joined Charcoalblue in 2009 as an AV designer and have been privileged to work on many ‘once in a lifetime projects’ as a theatre consultant, acoustician and experience consultant. As well as setting the strategic direction for Charcoalblue, I continue to take an active role in our projects and am very proud of the work we deliver all over the world. I’m always curious, trying to find new ways that buildings can enhance storytelling and understanding why exisiting typologies work well. There is no better validation for our work than seeing a community engaging with, benefitting from and enjoying a Charcoalblue venue.

What Brought You to Charcoalblue

I wanted to be an expert in my field and learn from amazing people around me, combining the passion I had from theatre making and my technical knowledge into something that I could make my professional life’s work. Charcoalblue has given me a chance to work on amazing projects, with amazing collaborators both within our team and as part of our wider network.

What Clients/Colleagues Value About You

That I genuinely care. I care about the space being as good as it can be, I care about the relationships we build as a project team, I care about the environmental and social impact of what we are building but most of all I care about the people who will be using the building. The staff, the visitors, the guests, the audience members – the whole community. I care that the building delivers on what it set out to achieve.

What We Won’t Learn from Your CV

Although I trained in music and sound recording, I’m equally as passionate about sport. Whether it’s watching, coaching or playing (badly) I’ll normally either be at the side of a pitch or following a live score ticker somewhere. When I travel to the US for work I’ll normally try and fit in a trip to citifield for the Baseball, or in Australia to the MCG for an AFL game. I’m not sure some of my American colleagues shared my enthusiasm when I tried to return the favour by dragging them onto my normal spot on the terraces at the Memorial Stadium in Bristol one cold November!

Cultural Value That Guides Engagement with Others

Communication – so much of what we do is communication, translating between audience experience, technical requirements, architectural design and construction. Getting everyone to communicate effectively is a skill that I work really hard at, making sure that what someone thinks they said is the same as what someone thinks they heard! As we work across different cultures and sectors this becomes increasingly important and listening become the most important skill we have.