Businessman and philanthropist Sir Ian Wood dies aged 84

Businessman and philanthropist Sir Ian Wood dies aged 84Image source, The Wood FamilyByCraig WilliamsBBC ScotlandPublished27 July 2026, 10:37 BSTUpdated 4 minutes agoThe Aberdeen-based businessman and philanthropist Sir Ian Wood has died aged 84, his family has announced.Sir Ian was one of the UK oil and gas industry's most respected leaders, who turned his family's fishing boat repair yard into a global engineering player in the North Sea and internationally.He retired as chief executive in 2006 and a year later began concentrating on his charitable work, creating The Wood Foundation, which works on social and economic inequality, especially in Scotland and sub-Saharan AfricaHis family said he died peacefully at home and they would remember his "kindness, generosity, determination and unwavering commitment to his family."Sir Ian was one of Scotland's wealthiest people, with a personal worth estimated at £1.8bn.At its height, the Wood Group was valued at more than £5bn, carrying out work in the energy industry around the world. It went public in 2002 and was sold to a Dubai company last year.Sir Ian, who retired as chairman of the group in 2012, was knighted in 1994 for services to the oil and gas industry and was later made a member of the Order of the Thistle, Scotland's highest order of chivalry.Wood takeover - good news or another loss for Scottish business?Published15 April 2025Engineering giant Wood opens door to takeover bidPublished17 April 2023Sir Ian's philanthropic work was carried out through the Wood Foundation, which he founded in 2007.It is involved in a number of investments and charitable work around agriculture and conservation in east Africa, as well as projects in Scotland.The statement from Sir Ian's family said: "Sir Ian was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend."While many knew him as an entrepreneur, philanthropist and one of Scotland's most influential business leaders, those...