When Ian English was a teenager growing up in Australia, he dreamt of one day becoming an engineer or architect. But his plans changed when he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 15, and his intended path through a combined work-study training program was derailed.

Ian English.

At the time, his father told him not to worry, he would find his way and should remember that regardless of where he ended up, he should "always look to put in more than you look to take out. He held that high in his own view on life, work and family, and I believe that I have always tried to do the same."

Ian took that advice to heart. Instead of simply accepting his fate, Ian made the most of the opportunities that came his way, beginning with what was supposed to be a stopgap job after graduating from high school.

"I ended up working for a clothing manufacturer with a planned year forecast, which ended up being 10 years, with the owners opening up a push [for me] to follow a management career," Ian recalls. "Formal management studies, along with appointment as GM at 23 years old, started a very different career path than originally intended."

Ian took that experience into electronics and software development/sales technology, further sharpening his skills in business and strategy. He followed with success in building and operational turnaround roles before another door opened quite unexpectedly in the early ‘90s.

"A chance meeting with a management consultant opened up a discussion about a U.S. company wanting to fill a role in Sydney for Select Ticketing Systems," he says. "The ticketing space was not something I had any experience in, apart from purchasing the odd live event or cinema ticket, like most people not directly engaged in it … The Sydney office had been open for five years, had five customers and five staff, and I knew absolutely nothing about ticketing, the sector or the systems involved … Never one to shy away from a challenge, I took on the role."

Ian's appointment as Select's Managing Director came at a pivotal moment. During his later years in the role, the internet was poised to disrupt the industry and redefine how audiences connected with events.

"All of a sudden, we could start looking at other ways of purchasing and delivering tickets that would reduce box office queues and increase access," he says. "The Select print-at-home PDF tickets were a game changer and opened a new wave of tech deliverables that were groundbreaking at the time. This tech also enabled us to look at other ways of expanding networks and ticket delivery, and one of the projects I led and delivered was the implementation of network ticketing in New Zealand via Red Tickets, for NZ Post (the New Zealand post office). This project delivered the ability to buy a ticket to an event, such as a rugby match, in the same transaction when you purchased a stamp or paid your bill at the post office counter. This delivered over 300 branches [with] 1,000-plus terminals all able to transact. [It was] a game changer in the ‘90s and unheard of for ticket distribution [and] sales at the time. Unfortunately, like a lot of government instrumentalities, a change in government and board at NZ Post saw the closure of Red Tickets, an agency network ahead of its time."

His success in Australia led to an opportunity in the U.K., with the owners asking Ian to see how he "might help a then-good operation become a better one." He accepted the challenge of continuing to grow the company from St. Albans as Managing Director, operating across the U.K., the Netherlands and German offices. The assignment meant long stretches away from his wife, Sue, and their three children. It was a decision made as a family, with the eldest of three children about to start secondary level education in Australia, but they made it work. He says, "It was a challenging time being such a distance away, but we were able to have some time together in the U.K. as well as the occasional visits home."

Ian and Sue in Paris in 2024.

He says, "We have been blessed with three now-adult children, three (and soon-to-be four) grandchildren, and my wife and kids have benefited from our ability to share some of the locations and travel experiences along the way. Has it been easy? Probably in a lot of respects, easier for me than for my wife and our kids. We are all very well connected, and our family unit is solid and stable, so something worked out OK along the way, and I think Sue can take the major credit for that."

When Select merged with Tickets.com in the summer of 1999, Ian stepped into a larger arena. And, as he notes, "The merger of Select with Tickets.com (TDC) was, at the time, an interesting and exciting direction, with the .com boom going full steam ahead."

He continues, "Coming together with a large operation on three continents (Select) and the U.S.-centric style of TDC at the time created some great opportunities as well as some interesting challenges. The expansion/acquisition model of TDC resulted in a basket full of code lines, and both competing and complementary sectors also creating some challenges from a development and support perspective. It also opened up potential for new sectors … We saw multiple Olympic projects during this period and, with Sydney being my home location, it was (and still is in my view) the greatest Games ever," Ian says, adding his thanks to the late Juan Antonio Samaranch, who served as the seventh president of the International Olympic Committee.

Ian (front right) with members of the Tickets.com team in Sydney in 2001.

Indeed, Ian and the local office supported some of the Prologue team, another TDC acquisition, leading up to the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Paralympics. He also worked directly with NBC as principal sponsor for all of their VIP guests and ticketing needs for the duration of the Games.

During his time with TDC, Ian pushed for the development of a new multibyte ticketing platform to support character sets, like Chinese and Japanese, that would be required to serve Asian markets. "At the time, all of the existing TDC software could not support multibyte, so we couldn't provide the graphical user interface essential for those markets," he recalls. "Getting the go-ahead for this project and then delivering it in both China and Australia was a great achievement."

With the increased focus on the upcoming Beijing Games and China's venue market, Ian relocated to Hong Kong as CEO Asia around 2006. In doing so, he also retained his role as Managing Director for Australia. "This led to an even more hectic period of life where no two weeks looked the same," he says, describing a relentless schedule of travel between Hong Kong, Beijing, other parts of Asia, and regular trips to Europe and the U.S. "Crossing the cultural barriers was a great learning experience and being able to adapt and respect all of the various countries, norms and approaches was a fantastic experience with even some learning in Mandarin along the way."

Ian was already no stranger to international travel, but the demands only intensified. Reflecting on his frequent absences over the years, his daughter once joked, "Dad, I think the secret to your happy marriage [of some 43 years] is that you have only been home 12 years of that time!"

In 2024, the English family got together to continue their cherished annual tradition of making Christmas cake.

During his time with TDC, Ian worked closely with the Chinese Sports Authority, helping to develop a strategy for nearly 2,400 sports venues and facilities across the country. This led to him accompanying a delegation from FIFA as they toured China in preparation for the Women's World Cup series. "The FIFA delegation was treated like royalty and given high-speed police escorts everywhere, VIP flight treatment and more," Ian recalls. "And while I was the only other Westerner in attendance, I was also treated the same. Very interesting times for sure."

Ian in China as he accompanied the FIFA delegation.

Ian had joined TDC during its expansion years, but by 2008, the company's direction had started to shift. With new ownership narrowing its focus and significant changes on the horizon, Ian began to reassess his priorities. After years of frequent international travel and leadership roles, he decided to step away. He returned to Australia intending to slow down, spend time with his family, and take an extended break from the demands of full-time work.

But the pause didn't last long.

Though he had returned to Australia without concrete plans, Ian soon found himself fielding new opportunities. He began consulting under the banner of Staij Pty Ltd, a business he had established years earlier for occasional, small projects. Around the same time, a U.K. consultant reached out on behalf of TopTix, an Israeli ticketing software company seeking representation in the Asia-Pacific region. The timing was promising, but the 2008 global financial crisis put things on hold. Still, the conversations planted a seed. As the dust settled, Ian saw potential, not just to consult, but to build something new. In 2010, he formally launched TicketServ, a full-scale business venture dedicated to delivering advanced ticketing solutions across the region.

Ian (left) with Eli Dagan, Co-founder and Product Manager of TopTix, in Sydney in 2013.

Ian (second from left) with the TopTix team in London in 2015.

What began as a tentative return quickly evolved into a full-scale business venture driven by a renewed passion for helping organizations navigate complex ticketing environments. "We launched the business on day one with three clients already on board and operational, two in Malaysia and one in Australia," he says proudly.

TicketServ quickly gained traction across the arts, tourism and commercial sectors. The company's tailored solutions, built around the TopTix SRO (Standing Room Only) platform, proved popular with clients who needed flexibility and performance. "TopTix and the SRO product was ahead of its time and a credit to the company and developers," Ian says. Over time, TicketServ grew into a trusted regional provider, serving a broad range of organizations and helping modernize the way audiences accessed events.

Members of the TicketServ team.

Around 2014, SeatGeek began showing interest in acquiring TopTix, including its customers, code lines, partners and distributors. Ian was approached as part of those discussions and, though initially hesitant, he was assured that growth and client support would remain priorities. Eventually, TicketServ Asia Pacific became SeatGeek Asia Pacific. But then, just a year later, the direction changed dramatically.

Ian (center) with members of the Australian SeatGeek team in 2017.

"A year later, the contradictory edict was handed down that SeatGeek was going to pull out of the non-sports/core markets and that all Asia Pacific clients were to have their contracts terminated on pretty short notice," Ian recalls. "This was also impacting the EU clients and locations."

It was a heavy blow, but true to form, Ian handled it with integrity. He embarked on a nine-week travel schedule to personally visit every affected client and assure them of the efforts being undertaken to smooth the process as much as possible. "Walking into these meetings with the normal positive reception ... and then having to explain the news regarding the termination of operations was a major and tumultuous process," Ian remembers, adding that SeatGeek ultimately extended contract termination dates to ensure clients had sufficient transition time.

Ian asked each client to keep the news confidential until he had spoken to everyone, a request they honored completely. When he finally reached the last client — a regional arts centre in Victoria — the general manager admitted she hadn't heard a whisper. "I'll be eternally grateful ... they gave me the chance to deliver this news personally."

As he exited TicketServ in 2018, Ian ensured that key staff were guaranteed roles to support the remaining clients through the transition.

After such a tumultuous period, he expected, perhaps even deserved, a break. But rest would have to wait. Ian's reputation for integrity, innovation and putting clients first meant his phone began ringing almost immediately.

"While similar to my departing TDC in 2008, where a quiet retirement was being envisioned, I finished on the Friday and was commencing a consulting project on the Saturday after having been contacted by a wide range of people for various discussions once the SeatGeek departure news was out in the open," he says. "Never a dull moment."

Late night monitoring for a consulting client in 2021.

He reactivated Staij Services and soon took on a major project helping expand Queue-it's presence across Asia Pacific. "This ultimately led to the establishment of the Australian Queue-it operation, which I was proud to serve as director for until my departure just recently in December 2024, while also seeing employment of nearly 10 staff, new clients and widespread operations across the region," he shares.

Ian (center) with members of the Queue-it team in 2022, including Queue-it co founder Niels Sodeman (second from left).

In parallel to his work with Queue-it, Ian consulted for companies like Red61 and 3D Digital and played a key role in guiding system transitions after Tickets.com exited the Australian market. "During all of this, my approach has always been to ensure a positive outcome from both my client and the selected supplier," Ian explains. "It is, in my view, an imperative that both parties, in what is hoped to be a long-term relationship, enjoy a mutually beneficial business association, a 'win-win' if you will.

Ian (right) with Tony Davey, Founder and CEO of Red61, at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

He continues, "As I was consulting [with] some of the departing TDC clients, I had to reflect on the fact that several of these were actually clients I had signed during my time as MD at TDC, and they had enjoyed a long and pretty positive journey along the way. This is a credit to not only that view of a win-win approach, but also all of the people at both the supplier and customer levels along the way who have worked to ensure the best outcomes."

For Ian, successful consulting is rooted in the simplest but most vital principles: clear communication, trust, integrity and mutual respect. "Most importantly, too, is the need to ensure you are honest about what you can and can't do [or] assist with and know when to say, ‘no.'”

Ian says, “While I have seen some bias toward consultants in one vertical or specialty being preferred to a wider range of others, I think that is a limiting factor when considering who you want to or need to work with. A different set of eyes or perspectives can sometimes uncover some great opportunities and avoid ‘tunnel vision’ when considering these. At the end of the day, the consultant should be bringing a much wider view to the table, as well as a way to open up everyone’s minds to other or different options and ways of doing things.”

Given the constant pace of his career and the demands of leading companies across continents, it is almost hard to believe Ian ever had time to give back to the broader industry. And yet, he did, often and meaningfully. One of the most significant examples of that commitment is his longstanding involvement with BOMI/INTIX, which included working with founder Patricia Spira on the Pacific Rim conference. He has been a big contributor and supporter of INTIX over the years, including as an exhibitor, delegate and Chairman’s Circle member.

Ian (right) and Maureen Andersen, President and CEO of INTIX, at the 45th Annual Conference and Exhibition at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

“My first conference was probably around 1993 or 1994, and I probably haven’t missed too many over the years,” he says. “INTIX plays a fundamental role in keeping everyone in tune with what is happening across the board, being a voice and advocate for the sector and working on broad industry professionalism. I have been very proud to be part of this for a long while, have met a great range of people along the way, and it has been a great progression over the years to see the increasing number of ‘internationals’ attending year on year.”

Tickets.com team dinner in Anaheim during the 2016 INTIX conference.

In parallel with his commitment to supporting INTIX, Ian has also been involved with PAC Australia for nearly 30 years, which represents and supports performing arts presenters, venues, producers and creators down under, as a board member, treasurer and more. He was awarded Honorary Life Membership of PAC in 2018, joining only six others to be awarded this recognition.

“Being able to give back, through getting involved with industry associations was also part of the learning experience, and having been involved with INTIX through the annual conference along with PAC Australia as the peak body of the Australian arts sector has allowed me to, in some small way, help the sector along the way. This again is about looking to ‘put in’ as much as possible,” he says.

While ticketing has shaped much of Ian’s professional life, he has always made room for his family and personal passions, particularly motorsports. A lifelong enthusiast, he has long participated in rallying events supporting children’s charities and is currently restoring (again) a 1971 Datsun 240Z. “Rallying is a challenging sport that has surprises around every corner and no two events are the same, so [there is] always a new challenge to be met,” he says, perhaps without realizing he has also captured the spirit of his entire career.

Ian (left) with his Datsun in 2022.

Ian’s Datsun during the 2023 trek.

In reflecting on that career, Ian says, “I have been very fortunate to have had some great success along my journey, surrounding myself with good and positive people, taking risks, and taking the knocks when they come (and they did), but at the end of the day, I like to approach everything I do with a glass-half-full approach and make sure that I make the most of every opportunity that presents itself. Trying something new isn’t the challenge; it is whether you make the most of what is in the challenge.”

Ian (right) at the Ticketing Australia Conference in Sydney in 2023.

Ian (left) and ticketing industry peers in Hong Kong in 2023.

To others in the industry, he offers this advice: “Our industry is one that has highs and lows and is so time sensitive that there often isn’t the opportunity to ‘take a breath’ before jumping into the next challenge. To deal with that on an ongoing basis takes strength and sometimes a bit of madness, but overall, never [lose] the sense of who you are as you progress through it, and remember … that everyone around you is also sensitive to your moods and feelings.”

He adds, “Don’t forget to treat everyone better than how you want to be treated yourself. It might not always be reciprocated, but it shouldn’t be from your lack of trying, and at the end of the day, you can hold your head high knowing you looked to put in your all.”

As for regrets, Ian doesn’t dwell on them. “While looking backwards and wishing something different is, to me, a negative approach ... I tend to look at the things I can do moving forward.”

Ian is in retirement mode now, having just returned from a multi-week sailing trip from New Zealand to Fiji. But it will come as no surprise that full-fledged retirement may not be in the cards just yet. “I am more likely to say, ‘never say never’ to full retirement, thus my ‘farewell tour’ might be a mix of travel … and other opportunities to mix business and pleasure.”

Ian (left) arriving in Fiji.

Ian enjoying sailing somewhere between New Zealand and Fiji.

He adds, “I am definitely enjoying a more leisurely pace of life now, and while I am continuing my commitments to the PAC Australia board and treasurer's role locally, there are always some interesting discussions that arise that could spark another project.”

Ian didn’t just witness the evolution of ticketing — he helped shape it, one bold move and meaningful relationship at a time. His name is spoken with reverence across continents. And whether he continues at a slower pace or dives back in with a new consulting project, his legacy is firmly etched into the systems, standards and very spirit of our industry.