Steve Rowan

Biography

Steve joined the IPO in 1991 and has held a number of operational and tribunal roles within the IPO. These roles covered patents, trade marks and designs, including as a Principal Hearing Officer deciding trade mark disputes. From September 2013 – May 2018 Steve was the Divisional Director of Tribunals, Trade Marks and Designs.

Steve has also worked on a wide range of IP policy issues as Deputy Director of the International and Copyright and IP Enforcement Directorates. He has extensive experience of EU and international negotiations and was Head of the UK Delegation to the Beijing and Marrakesh Diplomatic Conferences. He was seconded to the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit (2004) and HM Treasury (2006), working on the Gowers Review of IP.

Steve has an LLB (Hons).

Previous roles in government

  • Deputy CEO and Director of Operational Delivery