Sir Ian Wood dies aged 84

Sir Ian Wood, the billionaire businessman and philanthropist who built John Wood Group from a family fishing business into a global energy services company, has died at the age of 84. He passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by family. Wood was a towering figure in the North Sea oil industry, leading John Wood Group as CEO for nearly 40 years and chairman until 2012. Under his leadership, the company grew to employ around 35,000 people and was valued at over £5 billion. He was knighted in 1994 and later appointed to the Order of the Thistle. Through the Wood Foundation, established in 2007, he invested in charitable projects in United Kingdom — Scotland and East Africa. His death prompted tributes from political leaders including First Minister John Swinney and MPs Douglas Lumsden and Andrew Bowie.