AS a career civil servant Tim Craine has served at the very highest levels of the Isle of Man Government.
So when he retires at the end of next month it is likely that it won’t be long before he makes his mark again in one way or another.
‘I was due to retire in 16 months anyway when I reached the age of 60. But due to various circumstances I got the opportunity to go a little bit earlier,’ Mr Craine told Business News. ‘I feel the time is now right. I decided the end of March would be my last day. So I will have the summer to look forward to.
SLEEPING
‘I plan on sleeping, getting fit, losing weight and doing nothing for two months at least.
‘And then I will be looking to see what else there may be out there to which I can add value in some way having worked so closely with the business community in the island in various roles.
‘I believe I still have something to contribute and it will be interesting to see if there are any opportunities out there.’ In his current role as director of business development in the Department of Economic Development, Mr Craine has also been head of eGaming. He spoke to Business News shortly after returning from a ‘highly successful’ showing for the island at the ICE gaming exhibition in London.
The two previous government heads of eGaming, Bill Mummery and Garth Kimber, have successfully gone on to work in the private sector in the gaming sector which has been fast turning into a real success story for the Isle of Man as it diversifies its economy for the future.
When asked: ‘So this is unlikely to be the last we see of you in the business world?’, he replied: ‘Hopefully not, but a lot will depend on people’s perceived values of me going forward. So as I say I will wait to see what is out there and try to see where I can add value.’
Mr Craine did concede that it would probably not be on a full-time basis.
He said: ‘I don’t particularly relish the thought of working six days a week any more.
‘I’m a great believer in doing the job to the best of my ability and meeting the deadlines that are set.
‘I’m an early riser, I get up at 5am every day. I’m in the office for 5.45 am every morning. I have worked weekends and things where necessary so I set a great pride in my work and have done whatever is necessary to get things done on time.’
Mr Craine said he had started coming in to work every day at 5.45am since the Department of Economic Development had been established in 2010.
So will he find it easy to sleep in?
‘I think so, everyone is asking: ‘‘How will you adjust?’’ and ‘‘how will you cope?’’ ‘And I tell everyone not to worry, I will be fine.
‘I’m looking forward to the change of pace.’
Mr Craine alluded to hanging up his bowler hat but admitted he does not own such an item saying it was the archetypal civil servant image and it is an image this man certainly does not fit in with.
He says he has been a firm believer in getting stuck in and grasping opportunities throughout his long and varied career.
AMAZING
OPPORTUNITIES
Asked what stands out in his memory after a 33 year career he said: ‘I’ve had some amazing opportunities.
‘In terms of time I spent nine years working in the chief minister’s office. And I was an adviser to three different chief ministers. I saw many councils of ministers come and go and change. To have sat in on those cabinet meetings for nine years was a privilege and fascinating to watch and observe.’ He also played a vital role in the production of the chief minister’s annual policy review.
He said in his view the civil service had become more professional. He could understand why the current Chief Minister Allan Bell wanted to cut the size and the cost of government.
‘In these challenging times Government must tighten its belt as well.
‘And it’s a necessary process.’
The head of eGaming role will be advertised.
Mr Craine said: ‘It is important to realise there is a great team working in this department.’
He added that his successor will be able to ‘hit the deck running’ because a new strategy, a blueprint for eGaming, has just been formed.
This involved Government working with the eGaming sector to work out a way forward for the future.
He expects the new head of eGaming could be an ‘industry specialist’ from the world of eGaming.
Mr Craine said the recent ICE gaming expo in London aimed at the gaming world was very successful.
He said: ‘Without exaggeration it was probably one of the best expos I’ve been to in terms of the footfall of inquiries. People were saying they want to come to the Isle of Man.’
BREAKFAST WITH
BUZZ
Mr Craine’s CV is certainly very impressive. His career highlights include
l As director of space commerce, leading and directing Government’s space commerce initiative
l Being political adviser to three chief ministers - Sir Miles Walker, Donald Gelling and Richard Corkill
l Leading Government/private sector trade delegations to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Paris, New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles and Dubai
l He was a founding member of and then chairman of the Isle of Man Junior Chamber of Commerce
l He directed and led the charter and operation of the MV Bolette Norwegian car ferry as a contingency measure during the seaman’s strike of 1986. It was eventually used as a ‘floating hotel’ for hundreds of visiting TT fans
l He even sat next to and enjoyed breakfast with the second man on the moon Buzz Aldrin.
As well as his early morning starts, Manxman Mr Craine has often enjoyed walking home to Ballasalla in the summer evenings. He lists his interests as including hiking, travel, commercial aircraft, space exploration and lighthouses. Mr Craine said he could not rule out the possibility of writing a book about his career.
He said: ‘I’ve had an amazing career and an amazing quality of life in the Isle of Man. I look back with very fond memories.’