Ian Baxter trained as an archaeologist at Edinburgh University, and completed a PhD at the University of Cambridge investigating strategic management within heritage and conservation organisations. Since 2016 he has been Director of the Scottish Confucius Institute for Business & Communication at Heriot-Watt University (leading on tourism and heritage sector collaboration), and splits his time between Edinburgh and Cambridge. He has worked for a number of Universities in academic and senior management positions (predominantly within Business Schools).

Ian has worked on a number of heritage management and tourism development projects with industry as a consultant. He is a Board Director of The Heritage Alliance and Vice-Chairman of the Built Environment Forum Scotland – the national advocacy bodies for heritage-sector non-Governmental organisations (NGOs) in England and Scotland. He is also a member of a number of professional committees, including the Institute for Historic Building Conservation's Education, Training & Standards Committee, and has previously served on the ICOMOS-UK’s Cultural Tourism Committee, the National Trust for Scotland’s Economic & Community Development Advisory Panel and English Heritage’s Research Advisory Panel.