Memories from Woodgroup

Extracted from the Book- Aberdeens Billionaire - Sir Ian Wood

When Sir Ian Wood retired from Woodgroup around 2012 a book was given to him by then CEO Alistair Langlands, whereby some of the companies employees offered a great insight into working with Sir Ian. Weve popped some of them here.

70.  Memories From Wood Group 

This chapter captures personal employee memories and stories from individuals who have worked alongside Sir Ian over the last 50 years. 

Sir Ian was well liked by his staff and showed generosity. Employee Lynda Keeler recalls a time when she broke her leg during a horse-riding event that left her unable to use the manual gear box car. Sir Ian got her an automatic car which then allowed her a mobility otherwise unavailable. 

David Buchan remembers the support he was given by Sir Ian when as a Wood Group employee he was taken hostage In Kuwait just as Saddam Hussein Invaded Iraq in 1991. Sir Ian continually kept in touch with his family, and supported where he could. 

Jim Ewan recalls a Saturday morning in the late 1990s at the Wood Group head office in Tullos, Aberdeen. He received a call informing him about a serious offshore explosion that had injured two people—one employee from BP and the other from Wood Group, with the latter having lost an arm in the blast. Since it was a Saturday, the car park was nearly empty, with Sir Ian's car being one of the few. Jim hurried to Sir Ian's office to update him on the situation. Sir Ian immediately inquired about the details, offering assistance and seeking information on the necessary steps to be taken. What struck Jim after leaving the office was that Sir Ian never asked about which of the casualties had lost their arm or whether they were from Wood Group or BP. Sir Ian's concern was solely for the individuals involved, prioritising their well-being over corporate affiliations.

Bert Daily recalls that Sir Ian always penned a personal handwritten letter when people within the company had experienced a personal loss or tragedy. However, Bert shares one of the most amusing and apt stories which shall make those who knew Sir Ian personally chuckle. At a house party at Sir Ian’s home in late 1994 just after he had been Knighted, a story was circulating Aberdeen which many were reluctant to pass on to Sir Ian himself. After a few sherries a certain employee who shall remain nameless was given the task of Informing Sir Ian what the rumour was. The story went:- As Ian stepped forward to be Knighted by the Queen, Ian duly knelt where she conferred his title with the words you are now a “Knight of the Realm''. “Arise Sir Ian”. After a few minutes Sir Ian was still kneeling. The Queen's attendants then informed the Queen that unfortunately Sir Ian did not know what a “Rise” was, and she would need to rephrase the Instruction. When told the story Sir Ian frowned and continued to pour wine for his assembled guests. 

Bert further shares that it's widely known about Sir Ian's love for digestive biscuits, especially McVitie's, and it was a common sight for his briefcase to contain a full pack. Sir Ian would generously offer these biscuits to both colleagues, business adversaries and clients. During an overseas visit, employees were briefed on Sir Ian's preference for hot tea and McVitie's digestive biscuits. When the time came, hot tea was served and he took out a pack of the biscuits from his briefcase. However, due to a harsh winter in Aberdeen, only the St Michael brand of digestives had been available, not Sir Ian's beloved McVitie's. Shortly after, a full tray of McVitie's Digestive Biscuits was presented, and Sir Ian's eyes lit up. At the end of the meeting, he discreetly exchanged the St Michael brand packet he had brought with him for his preferred McVitie's brand, which had been provided by his hosts, and placed them in his briefcase, knowing he had several more days left in his visiting itinerary.

John Field reminisces about a memorable moment during Sir Ian's visit to Luanda in Angola. He recalls the streets being lined with crowds enthusiastically waving to welcome Sir Ian, only to later discover that the people were actually awaiting the departure of The Pope.

Lost in translation' can generate agonising cliff-hangers. The Director General of the national oil company in Basra in Iraq, an imposing man of rather stern countenance, when he hung Sir Ian’s jacket in a cabinet at one side of his palatial office, when the door fell off! Clearly, he was furious! This did not bode well at the start of what we knew would be a tough meeting. After a dreadful pause, and concern about what was going on, we learned that he had exclaimed, fortunately only stating "May the wrath of Allah fall upon all Chinese furniture manufacturers!".

In the early years of grounding business in Colombia, car journeys across Bogota were rather nerve wracking with security outriders manoeuvring continuously to swap places around us. And then at the office, it was alarming to see how staff took up Sir Ian’s offer of biscuits and so quickly finished the packet of biscuits he had placed on the meeting room table! However, a mild knock on the door announced a little old lady bringing in a fresh brew of coffee and, she had on her tray a new red packet of McVitie's digestive biscuits from a small shop in a far corner of the city! The smile on his face marked the beginning of us all feeling more comfortable in Colombia (and illustrated the value of thorough, diverse scouting at the outset of each new country entry!)

John Morgan:- How to possibly capture the essence of Sir Ian Wood? When that light bulb switched on during your first visit to Houston all those years ago you could not have imagined that you would pass on a business which, having just handed shareholders a quarter of its value, was once again being thrust into the FTSE 100. In the course of that journey, you have changed your briefcase and car at least once, consumed a mountain of digestive biscuits, lakes of tea and ginger beer and had unquantifiable chicken and salmon dinners.

lain Murray:- It's hard to believe Sir Ian’s retirement from Wood Group is now a reality. It seems only yesterday during the 2002 IPO we spent a lot of time with the advisors to the Underwriters helping figure out what they should be telling potential investors about your future plans and the role Allister might play in running the Group. They were very concerned that in similar situations a lot of entrepreneurs who promise to stay on and guide the future of the business, quickly take the money and leave the business in lesser hands. In their wildest imagination they couldn't have foreseen the incredible journey the Group has been on, the growth, the strong leadership you have both given for 10 more years, the acquisitions and disposals, the share price moving up from 1.95 to over 8 pounds and the dynamic leadership team that is now shaping the next chapter. It truly seems like yesterday your phone call came through on an otherwise routine Monday morning, the 11th of February 2001, to discuss your plan to recruit an assistant. Not only did it turn out to be a great experience from a business point of view. While working for you I was surprised by your reaction to major contract wins and losses: wins were met with a moment of recognition and then immediately followed by encouragement to find the next growth opportunity. Losses were almost immediately turned into a focus on how to win the work back or be the winner next time round. You created and kept up a forward momentum that has separated the Group from its peers for decades. One of my most embarrassing moments in business was a meeting in your office with a couple of Board members when I leant too far back in one of your roller reclining chairs. It tipped over backwards. You stood up, leant over your desk, looked down and said, "that happens about once a year." then carried on with the meeting without further ado.

Nick Gilman:- At the time of the IPO, we were making a presentation to the analysts in the city to introduce them to the company. The venue was the traditional and somewhat run-down Cazenave offices. However, Caz had a new air conditioning system. I don't know if it was to prove that the new system worked or because no one knew how to turn it down, but the room was absolutely freezing. I popped out for a few minutes and when I returned, I realised that three or four ladies (perhaps I exaggerate!) were wearing a blue V-neck jumper around their shoulders to protect them from the cold. You had raided your Tardis-like briefcase and offered them round as you had noticed how uncomfortable they were. A few years later we were meeting with the founder of a successful hedge fund in Mayfair. It was late summer 2005 and that week England had regained the Ashes. You were making conversation and asked how he had spent his Summer. Your look of incomprehension when he said that he had three months off to watch the cricket was priceless. 

I recall an early morning conference call in New York. Unfortunately the hotel room service did not enjoy any discount and breakfast was frighteningly expensive. I had some breakfast in my room, realising it was going to be the only chance to eat ahead of a full day of meetings. The ingrained dislike of extravagance was clear to me in the moment when you said that you had been unable to bring yourself to order any food, and held up the room service menu and pointed at some of the prices on it. It wasn’t unknown for Sir Ian, in the middle of a difficult meeting somewhere round the world, to produce a packet of best Walkers shortbread from his briefcase and shared it round the table, breaking the tension of a critical moment and smoothing the path of the negotiation.

EXTRACTED FROM THE BIOGRAPHY - SIR IAN WOOD ABERDEENS BILLIONAIRE

WHAT DO YOU GET THE ABERDONIAN MAN IN YOUR LIFE THIS CHRISTMAS?

A word from our sponsor

Billionaire industrialist Sir Ian Wood stands as the wealthiest homegrown founder of a company in Scotland. When he stepped down from the helm in 2013, his creation—Wood Group plc—had grown into a global powerhouse valued at $12 billion, operating in more than 60 countries, employing 60,000 people, and elevating his personal fortune to over £2 billion.

A figure both formidable and fiercely debated, Sir Ian Wood’s life unfolds as an extraordinary saga—one marked by relentless effort, unwavering determination, profound personal sacrifice, moments of tragedy, brushes with disaster, and the darker currents of betrayal, greed, immense wealth, and influence.

Beginning with his family’s modest fishing-boat repair business in 1967, he boldly steered the company into the emerging world of oil and gas just as the industry reached Britain’s shores in the 1970s. From there, he built a sprawling empire that touched shipping, energy, fishing, technology, travel, electronics, power generation, offshore drilling, and property development. His leadership oversaw the most dramatic industrial transformation Aberdeen had ever seen.

Now, for the first time, the story long hidden behind closed doors is revealed. This is an explosive, deeply revealing journey into the sometimes shadowy, often ruthless, yet undeniably electrifying world of the Aberdeen oil and gas sector—its power brokers, its high-stakes decisions, and the man whose influence shaped an era.

Sir Ian’s real-life ascent makes HBO’s Succession seem like little more than a gentle bedtime tale.

His achievements stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the greatest entrepreneurs in any industry, at any point in history.

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