ManSat regrets to announce the passing of Mr. Bryan Stott, the company’s co-founder, first Chairman and, latterly, Chair of its Advisory Board.
Educated at King William’s College in the Isle of Man, Bryan, who was 82, studied estate management at London University before embarking on a career that spanned property, banking, space, and more.
His early career with Chrystal Brothers as an Auctioneer, Chartered Surveyor and Estate Agent led him to partnership there and contributed to his in-depth knowledge of the property market in the Isle of Man and elsewhere.
His work creating residential homes led him to property development in London, Florida and, indeed, around the world, creating a legacy of offices, public buildings, redeveloped and rejuvenated city centres, and beautiful apartments. Ever the entrepreneur, in the 1980s he worked to establish Glen Kella whisky, now Manx Spirit, the Isle of Man’s first modern distillery.
From his time with the Isle of Man Bank, as its youngest director in 1973 and then as Chairman, Bryan also served in the banking community both in the Isle of Man and abroad. He was Chair of NatWest Offshore, the Manx subsidiaries of Coutts and Ulster Bank, and more. He was one of the Isle of Man Bank’s longest-serving Chairs when he retired in 2000, after which he was invited to serve with the Isle of Man’s Financial Supervision Commission (now the Financial Services Authority) as a financial regulator.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s he worked with his son, Chris Stott, to establish the space industry in the Isle of Man with the formation of ManSat. After stepping down as Chair of the Main Board in 2008, he retained his connection with the company as Chair of its Advisory Board.
Katherine Gizinski, CEO of ManSat, said: “On behalf of all at ManSat, we are incredibly grateful for Bryan’s support in establishing ManSat as an organization. His professionalism, tremendous work ethic, and counsel were instrumental in positioning ManSat as a major player in the global satellite industry. We gladly carry a small portion of Bryan’s legacy forward as we continue our work. An outstanding businessman and a lovely person, he is sorely missed.”
Chris recalled: “In addition to his business life, Dad was a devoted family man and passionate about the Isle of Man and its community. He was a keen supporter of many charities, had a passion for sports, in particular football, cricket, snooker, and motorsport, and deeply loved his family and his friends. He will be keenly missed by all who knew him.”