BIOGRAPHY
The nephew of legendary impresarios Leslie Grade, Lew Grade and Bernard Delfont, Ian Freeman was born into showbusiness.
He began his working life, in 1969, as a theatrical agent at the then Delfont-Grade Agency (later London Management). He trained under renowned agents Cyril Berlin and Billy Marsh, helping to drive the careers of artistes such as Des O’Connor, Morecambe & Wise, Lonnie Donegan and Roy Castle.
A career switch in the mid ‘70s into the advertising industry brought him into direct contact with movie distribution, an industry in which he was to spend over a decade. At CIC UK (a joint venture between Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) he held the position of Director of Publicity and Advertising and marketed successful releases such as “Saturday Night Fever”, “Grease” and “Watership Down”. From 1980, as Director of Overseas Marketing at EMI Films, he worked on a raft of successful movies, liaising between the company and its appointed distributors worldwide, spending much of his time abroad organising publicity junkets for major stars appearing in EMI films.
Ian Freeman entered the leisure industry in 1986, joining First Leisure Corporation PLC, owners and operators of nightclubs, bars, tenpin bowling centres, fitness clubs and seaside attractions including Blackpool Tower, as a Marketing Executive. As the company grew, Ian’s accountability increased and by 1995, as Group Head of Corporate Relations, he was responsible at senior level for corporate affairs, external and internal communications and liaison with national media, investors and the financial sector.
Ian Freeman left First Leisure in November 1999, following the demerger and sale of its major assets, to become a freelance consultant operating within the leisure, hospitality and entertainment industry. He advised a variety of companies and individuals on many aspects of their business, including crisis management and their social media presence, as well as being a prolific business-to-business journalist.
Ian became a member of the Royal Variety Charity’s Executive Committee in 2006. He was appointed Honorary Treasurer in 2011 and joined the board of Trustees in 2015. The Charity owns and operates a care home in Twickenham, west London, partially funded by the annual Royal Variety Performance. Ian is also proud to be a Companion Rat of showbusiness charitable organisation The Grand Order of Water Rats, and a Freemason, having been Secretary of Chelsea Lodge, the showbusiness Masonic Lodge, since 2023. The Lodge raises around £100,000 a year for various charitable causes.
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