Ian Meakins
Ian Keith Meakins | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 31, 1956 United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Corporate executive |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Known for | CEO of Wolseley plc (2009–2016); Chairman of Compass Group (since 2020); Chairman of Unilever (since 2023); former chairman of Rexel |
Ian Keith Meakins (born 31 August 1956) is a British corporate executive. He held the position of CEO at Wolseley plc, an international distributor of building materials, from 2009 until 2016. Since December 2023, he has been the chairman of Unilever, and he has served as chairman of Compass Group starting in December 2020. Previously, he was the chairman of Rexel.
Early life
Meakins completed his education at St Catharine's College, part of the University of Cambridge.
Career
His professional journey began as a brand manager at Procter & Gamble from 1978 to 1985. He then advanced to a senior management role at Bain & Company between 1985 and 1988, followed by becoming a founding partner at Kalchas Group from 1988 to 1991. Between 1992 and 2004, Meakins occupied various senior positions at Diageo plc, including President of European Major Markets and overseeing Global Supply. He served as CEO of Alliance UniChem prior to its merger with Boots in 2006, and subsequently led Travelex Holdings Ltd.
From July 2009 until August 2016, Meakins was the chief executive officer of Wolseley plc, after which John Martin took over the role.
In addition to his executive roles, Meakins holds a directorship at the Impetus Trust and acts as a non-executive director for Centrica plc.
In December 2020, he replaced Paul S. Walsh as chairman of Compass Group. He assumed the chairmanship of Unilever in December 2023 and remained chairman of Rexel until August 2023.
Personal life
Meakins is married and has three children.