He is the son of Peter Ackerman and Joanne Leedom-Ackerman.

Ackerman competed in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games as part of the Great Britain National Team.

[3] Ackerman's best international finish was fifth at the 2011 Commonwealth Championship.

He was educated at the American School in London[4] and then Harvard University, where he graduated in June 2000.

He received his Ph.D. in mathematics in 2006 from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.