Sir Ian Davis

Sir Ian Edward Lamert Davis (born 10 March 1951) is a British businessman. He served as chairman and Worldwide Managing Director of McKinsey & Company from 2003 to 2009 and as Chairman of Rolls-Royce Holdings from 2013 to 2021. He currently serves as Chairman of Thoughtworks and holds several non-executive directorships.

Early life and education Davis was born on 10 March 1951 in Kent, England. He is the twin brother of Sir Nigel Davis, a Court of Appeal judge, and the brother of Sir Crispin Davis, former chairman of Reed Elsevier.

Davis studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Balliol College, University of Oxford, where he earned his undergraduate and master's degrees.

Career

Early career After graduating from Oxford, Davis worked for seven years at Bowater, a British pulp and paper company, before joining McKinsey & Company in 1979. He served in this position until 2009, leading the firm's global operations during a period of significant expansion. Davis retired from McKinsey in 2010 and became Senior Partner Emeritus, a role he continues to hold. He served as chairman until October 2021, leading the board during a period of significant challenges including restructuring efforts and the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the aviation industry.

Johnson & Johnson In July 2010, Davis was appointed to the board of directors of Johnson & Johnson, where he served as an independent non-executive director until March 2023. He is a non-executive director of Teach For All, a global network of educational organizations.

Honours Davis was appointed Knight Bachelor in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to business.

Personal life Davis married in 1978 and has two children.

Selected board positions

Current Chairman, Thoughtworks (2021–present) Non-Executive Director, Majid Al Futtaim Group Senior Adviser, Apax Partners Senior Adviser, Mubadala Investment Company Non-Executive Director, Teach For All Senior Partner Emeritus, McKinsey & Company

Former Chairman, Rolls-Royce Holdings (2013–2021) Non-Executive Director, Johnson & Johnson (2010–2023) Non-Executive Director, BP (2010–2020) Lead Non-Executive Board Member, Cabinet Office (2015–2016) Chairman and Worldwide Managing Director, McKinsey & Company (2003–2009)