Ian Spaulding
Chief Executive Officer of LRQA
In this interview, we sit down with Ian Spaulding, Chief Executive Officer of global risk management partner LRQA, to reflect on the defining moments of his career. We were particularly inspired by LRQA’s transformation under his leadership, as well as the wide-ranging and unconventional projects he has successfully led. Ian also shares how his hometown has profoundly influenced his outlook and approach to work.
Can you tell us about your background and how you got started in the TIC+ sector?
I began my professional career 30 years ago with KPMG, first in non-financial auditing, then advisory, before working directly with boards to help them understand the risks in their supply chains. Later, I worked for a small non-profit called Business For Social Responsibility, to help brands and retailers with their supply chain risks. This took me to Asia and ultimately to join a US retailer to set up and run their global compliance and quality programme for 6,000 suppliers in 50 countries.
Eventually, I took the leap to start my own company, ELEVATE, in Asia. That experience combined my background as both a consumer and a provider of audits and certainly shaped my philosophy in the sector: TIC is not about “comply or die”, but rather about using compliance to enhance business outcomes.
Tell us a bit about your hometown — what makes it special to you?
I grew up in Edgewater, Maryland – a modest, blue-collar town on the Chesapeake Bay. Many people there worked on the water and families had limited means, so I grew up knowing that you have to be resilient and work hard, and I believe this attitude helped shaped my career.
Now, after decades of working in Asia, Europe and beyond, it’s interesting to me to reflect on the diversity of those countries and cultures compared to the simplicity of Edgewater. I think that background grounds me and has driven me to adopt the mantra of “act local and think global”. I pride myself on my desire to get into the details, to get my hands dirty and to get stuff done – all leading to a bigger impact.
Can you share with us a specific project or accomplishment that you are particularly proud of and why?
There are many projects I have been proud of, but let me share some particular examples. The first was becoming the Founder of ELEVATE and growing it into a US$50m company with hundreds of colleagues and contractors around the world. We were fortunate to work on some of the more impactful projects in global supply chains, for example, we partnered with a technology firm during the launch of a major new product, supporting their supply chain to help suppliers and workers adapt to the demands this presented.
I'm also proud of our work over the years with foreign migrant workers and helping to address real risks of forced labor, including repayment of millions of USD back to workers from Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam and Myanmar.
Additionally, following the tragic Rana Plaza building collapse, we led efforts with 30 North American companies to audit 650 factories employing 1.2 million workers.
The Rana Plaza collapse, which occurred in Bangladesh in April 2013 remains the deadliest garment-industry disaster ever recorded. The collapse killed 1,134 people and injured around 2,500 others.
We trained almost 2 million workers, and as part of a plan to keep these workplaces safe into the future, we put in place a helpline for workers to call if they had health, safety or human rights concerns. This helpline received about 5000 calls per month and drove real change: installation of fire doors, sprinkler systems, reinforced concrete, fire separation. This was one of the most impactful projects of my career. We all made Bangladesh safer as a result of a lot of people and companies working together to do right by the workers of these factories.
The final highlight of my career I would call out is the transformation of LRQA. My initial brief was to merge my company, ELEVATE, into LRQA and to help the combined entity grow and evolve. This was at the same time that LRQA became a separate and independent company from its origins as a division of Lloyd’s Register, the 250-year-old non-profit maritime classification society.
Later, I took on the role of LRQA’s CEO with a mandate to transform the business, to grow it, to diversify our product and market offering and to ensure we were adding real value to our people, our clients and the market. One of the many things we have done to transform LRQA has been the simplification of our tech stack and the development of new ways of working, eventually to become a digital-first company. Today, my responsibility is to ensure LRQA’s long-term resilience so that we are built to last for another 250 years.
I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY DESIRE TO GET INTO THE DETAILS, TO GET MY HANDS DIRTY AND TO GET STUFF DONE – ALL LEADING TO A BIGGER IMPACT.
What role do you think business leaders should play in shaping a better future for society?
We’re currently living in a time of rising scepticism about Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). But I remain committed to it, and at LRQA, ESG is not just a slogan, it’s a vital tool for helping clients reduce risk and build fairer, more sustainable operations.
Governments must set clear rules, but businesses have an equally important role in leading, implementing and advancing them. At LRQA, we are working to enable exactly that.
Silence or retreat on ESG is not the answer. Businesses have the power to create positive change – for people, for the environment and for communities. And this is good for profits and resilience long term.
What do you think is the biggest factor affecting the TIC+ industry at the moment?
Without question, it’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) and all things digital. A lot of people may think AI-enabled TIC is inferior to a people-only TIC, but AI is fast, scalable and capable of generating insights that, hand-in-hand with our experts, enable businesses to manage risk better. Crucially, the winners in our industry will be those who harness AI to enhance – not replace – human expertise.
What do you hope your legacy at LRQA will be?
I love the idea of creating a company that is built to last. I want to make sure that when I pass on the company, it is stronger and more relevant. That means providing services and products that matter to clients, creating a culture that our people are proud of, and delivering real value to our clients and society – not only a licence to trade.
If you could speak to your 20-year-old self, what would you say?
First, to listen more than I talk! Second, to take bolder risks. I am naturally cautious, although people might not think it having started my own company and lived in Asia and the UK. But those times I’ve stepped outside my comfort zone are the moments I’ve grown the most.
Can you speak to the biggest challenges you have faced in your career and how you overcame them?
Leading the transformation at LRQA has not been easy. We were managing a large-scale change after separation from Lloyd’s Register, and it was about aligning people, mission and culture. Some people were uncomfortable with moving from a non-profit culture to a for-profit model. There was nostalgia for the old ways, and many feared the pace of change.
But the reality was that we wanted to invest in the future. So the challenge was to respect our heritage while creating urgency for reinvention. Driving change required clarity, humility and resilience.
When you think about the world your grandchildren will inherit, what do you hope we get right?
I tell my children to leave their mark by trying to make the world a little better than they found it – whether that’s their own bedroom, the outdoors, or the planet itself. Admittedly, faced with the existential threat of climate change, that can feel like an overwhelming challenge. Especially when we consider the sheer amount of plastic we consume, or the influence of fast-fashion brands and of course our dependence on fossil fuels.
But then I think back to COVID. Society was confronted with enormous challenges, and we rose to meet them. We protected people, adapted quickly and achieved better outcomes than many thought possible. That gives me hope.
So I want my grandchildren to inherit a world where innovation has similarly been harnessed to create something better and mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. A world that is more resilient, fairer and better than the one we found. That’s why I remain optimistic.
I see encouraging progress through innovation in AI, data and regulation and, if governments play their part, perhaps we can leave behind a positive legacy for humanity.
ONE OF THE MANY THINGS WE HAVE DONE TO TRANSFORM LRQA HAS BEEN THE SIMPLIFICATION OF OUR TECH STACK AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW WAYS OF WORKING, EVENTUALLY TO BECOME A DIGITAL-FIRST COMPANY.
