Getting to know... Ian Balderson

In the latest instalment of Bdaily’s Getting to know... feature, which looks at the person behind the business profile, Ian Balderson, innovation director for The Wellsprings, the Bolton-based office and co-working space managed by Oxford Innovation Space, talks about how a landmark banking project changed his career trajectory, why the North West is such a great place for networking and his time as a top dancer. 

We know you as the innovation director of The Wellsprings, but who is the person behind the title? Tell us a little about what makes you tick...

I get a real buzz out of helping people find easier ways to do things.

It started when I helped test smart tablets while working for Barclays in Bolton – in what is now The Wellsprings building. 

The tablets completely changed how our team worked and how I lived day to day.

That moment really clicked for me; I realised how much I enjoy understanding what frustrates people and finding ways to make things simpler. 

Did you always want to work in an innovation support role? 

From the point of first using those smart tablets, yes.

And I have done so for the past 15 years. 

I began by using technology to shape banking, then moved into creating new ways of working through innovation across entire local authorities, large charities, pharmacies and now SMEs. 

The principal remains the same with the businesses I work with at The Wellsprings: identify a challenge and fix it, most often with technology.

What’s the best bit about your job? And the worst?

The Wellsprings officially opened in September, and one of the perks for our businesses and members is free support from me as the innovation director. 

The best part of my job is getting to know new businesses, what drives them, what they’re aiming for and helping them make it happen. 

The trickiest part (though not the worst!) is pulling our events together. 

We run lots of workshops and training sessions for local businesses, and while organising them can be a challenge, the great feedback always makes it worth it.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement? 

On a personal level, my family. 

From a career perspective, there are lots to choose from.

However, most recently, I’m proud of helping to implement The Wire, a new social collaboration platform to enable businesses across our entire Oxford Innovation Space network – of which The Wellsprings is part – to find each other and work together. 

How do you relax outside of work?

I love spending time with friends and family socialising. 

I love cooking and get great pleasure from people enjoying what I’ve made.

I’m a keen follower of various sports, specifically my beloved Liverpool FC, Formula One, tennis, cricket, darts… I could go on!

What makes the North West such a great place to live and work? 

I’ve only ever lived in the North West, but I have worked all over, and I can say it is a truly welcoming place to work.

There is a real difference to the people here. 

It’s a particularly exciting time for Bolton, because the town is undergoing a major regeneration project. 

The Wellsprings plays a key role in bringing local businesses together, to build new partnerships in our co-working spaces, offices and event spaces, and I can already see some fantastic new connections building.

Tell us something about you we don't know…

I was a top dancer as a teenager – I’m talking Strictly Come Dancing-type stuff.

I used to compete with and against many of the professionals that were on the show in the noughties.

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