Ian Nolan is a founding partner of Circularity Capital and chairs the firm’s Investment Committee, where he leads on investment strategy, portfolio construction, and capital deployment. With over 30 years of experience in private equity and investment management, Ian brings a rigorous institutional lens to selecting and scaling circular economy businesses.

Ian spent over two decades at 3i Group plc, one of Europe’s leading private equity firms, where he progressed through a series of senior roles before being appointed Chief Investment Officer. As CIO, he oversaw £8bn in assets across growth, infrastructure, buyout, and debt strategies, and played a central role in shaping the firm’s investment philosophy and global portfolio. His tenure at 3i gave him deep experience in evaluating and managing complex investments across multiple sectors and geographies.

In 2011, Ian was appointed the first employee and CIO of the UK Green Investment Bank, where he helped pioneer impact investing at scale, aligning public capital with environmental innovation and catalysing private sector participation in the green economy.

Ian’s career has spanned senior roles across the UK and continental Europe, with a consistent focus on delivering both financial and impact outcomes. He serves on the boards of several Circularity Capital portfolio companies including PackBenefit, Shark Solutions, and Cerafiltec.

He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Cambridge and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen. He remains a vocal advocate for integrating sustainability into mainstream private equity practice.