Ian Pickford is a lay member of the MSA Trust’s Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) and the facilitator of the MSA Trust Four Counties Support Group.
The support group was established and run alongside his wife Jackie, who was diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy in 2015. Together, they were committed to staying positive and focusing on what remained possible rather than on daily challenges. They continued to travel widely following Jackie’s diagnosis, right up until her death in 2024.
Ian’s professional background is in logistics, culminating in a management buy‑out and the successful sale of his business. He later specialised in supporting organisations through periods of difficulty, including working as a turnaround Chief Executive for a national college for the blind, a hospice, and a regional branch of the YMCA.
Ian often reflects that his previous career proved invaluable preparation for what became his most meaningful role: being Jackie’s full‑time carer in her later years. He has a strong interest in research and is motivated by a desire to see meaningful results delivered in a timely and cost‑effective way, informed by lived experience.