Ian M. Beaty

Thanks to the BP scholarship which I was lucky to have won while at university, after graduating I joined BP full time at their Research Centre in Sunbury-on-Thames.
 
Working initially as a mathematician I quickly became absorbed in the early days of computing, initially on an Elliot 803, and became fairly expert at programming. This shaped the rest of my career.     After five years I moved to Scicon, a computer consultancy owned then by BP.     While there and working on contract at the MoD I met my wife Jane to whom I have now been married for 44 years.     I moved back into BP proper in 1973 working in various IT related jobs including being responsible for IT for BP Chemicals.

After a 5 year spell out of the IT world, preceded by a short course at INSEAD, I had various management roles in BP Gas and BP Engineering. Back with IT my final role was responsible for IT Strategy and Control in BP Oil International.

I took an early retirement option in 1993 and after a short rest picked up my technical and programming skills again, working freelance through my own company.   I built a range of web based applications for companies ranging from Morgan Stanley to Bourne Leisure and the Home Retail Group.     I greatly enjoyed this latter stage in my career providing as it did continuing intellectual challenge until I somewhat reluctantly retired age 71.

Current interests include a local investment club, a bit of golf – taken up far too late! - and of course my two daughters and four grandchildren.     Jane and I have lived in Berkhamsted, Herts since 1978 and also enjoy sojourns at our second home in Highcliffe, near Christchurch, on the south coast.