Ian Birtles - Senior Director

Ian began his career training with Bristow Burrell & Co, a firm of chartered accountants with offices in Guildford and London, before moving to the City, where he spent 10 years with the international chartered surveyors Gooch & Wagstaff. He joined RSHP in 1997 as Head of Finance.

As a member of the board, Ian is responsible for the practice’s financial management and works closely with the directors on the financial and tax aspects of projects across the practice. He played a key role in developing RSHP’s BAA framework agreement for Heathrow Terminal 5 and was part of the management team for the Spanish joint venture that delivered Madrid-Barajas Airport.

Ian leads the establishment, structuring and tax planning of RSHP’s international entities and has overseen significant financial and strategic developments across the practice, including the establishment of offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Tokyo, Shanghai, Mexico City and Sydney.

He is currently working with the RSHP design team and co-architects on the delivery of the new terminal at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, while also leading the practice’s business development activities across the Middle East.

Alongside his practice leadership responsibilities, Ian supports and mentors RSHP’s architectural assistants, advising on the financial and commercial aspects of the RIBA Part 3 qualification.