Ian Andrew McPherson QPM (born 25 March 1961) is a retired British police officer who is now a management consultant. McPherson was born in Preston, Lancashire, the son of Ian Douglas and Mary Elizabeth (née Simpson) McPherson. He joined Lancashire Constabulary as a constable in Preston in 1979. He transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department as a detective constable in 1985 and transferred to Skelmersdale on promotion to detective sergeant in 1987. After being selected for the accelerated promotion course at Bramshill Police College, he was promoted to uniformed inspector in 1991 and was posted to Blackpool, later moving to the force headquarters at Hutton as head of the headquarters support unit dealing with public order. He was promoted to chief inspector in 1993 and became staf