Ian McClure

Associate VP for Research, Innovation & Economic Impact, University of Kentucky

Ian McClure is the Associate Vice President for Research (AVPR), Innovation and Economic Impact for UK Innovate at the University of Kentucky (UK), where Ian oversees innovation, commercialization, new venture creation and economic development at the University of Kentucky, including industry partnerships, innovation training, and social innovation. 

Most recently, he led a team of 25+ staff managing the university’s IP and startup portfolios.  Ian is also the Chair of AUTM, the leading global association for technology transfer.  Ian began his career as a Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and IP transactions attorney in Louisville. Following private practice, he helped build a start-up company in Chicago that was the world’s first financial exchange for IP and technology rights, which he led through growth to 30+ full-time employees and three offices.  

Prior to returning to Kentucky, Ian was Vice President of IP Strategy for a boutique investment bank headquartered in San Francisco focused on IP and technology-driven transactions. In parallel, he teaches graduate courses on the Law & Business of IP Management at multiple law schools, and has published extensively on IP strategy.  Ian has been named one of the World’s Leading IP Strategists by IAM Magazine for six years.