MEET THE CURRENT
BID BOARD

I was honoured to be asked to chair the Bute BID Board and I very much looking forward to working alongside my fellow directors, the levy payers and the residents of Bute from were I am born and bred and have lived my whole life.

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For those of you who don't know me I am a director of Bute Blacksmiths who also own a steel stock holders in Glasgow. Over the years I have been involved in various local clubs and organisations such as Bute Shinty Club as a player and treasurer, office bearer and chair of Bute Pony and Riding Club, President of Bute Agricultural Society and serving the community for 32 years as a retained fire fighter starting with Strathclyde Fire Brigade and finishing with Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as a crew manager.

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This island is unique and has so much to offer and I feel that it requires the support and encouragement of a BID team who are focused on Bute with only the best for Bute at heart. Lets work together and make Bute the best it can be.​​​​​​​

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My connection with Bute started when my parents moved here in the early 80s. Having grown up and been educated in Germany I moved here permanently in March 91.​  When I moved to Bute, I first became self-employed (shop owner).  In 2001 I started working for IBM as Project Manager and Project Office Manager.  Additionally, my wife and I own 2 holiday rentals on Bute.  Because of these properties and also having previously been a shop owner, I can see and understand the problems we all face here on Bute.  ​As a (sceptic) BID levy payer I attended several BID meetings and when I was approached to join the board, I felt this would be an opportunity to actively and positively contribute to change Bute for the better instead of just pointing out the negatives.  We are all aiming towards the same goal: Make Rothesay and the entire island look more attractive! This will hopefully bring more people to the island (tourists as well as new residents) who will stimulate our local economy.

 

Let’s show them who we are and what we have to offer!  Let’s make BID our tool to help us achieve our common goal!​  Every levy payer will benefit indirectly if not directly as part of the community. More people visiting Bute means more money to the Island which in turn enables the ones who benefit from it to spend more money here.  I remember when I had my shop, I saw the same 1 £ Note several times.  It was easy to distinguish because of what had been written on it.

A creative director, engineer, and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in civic tech and public service. He was responsible for the digital marketplace of many massively multiplayer online games, including the Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Second Life, and Guild Wars 2. After working in digital payments at Visa, Jim went on to become a founding employee and lead engineer at real estate startup UpNest, which has since been acquired by the Realtor.com family as part of Move, Inc.

 

Prior to the spread of COVID-19, Jim worked for a new Digital Services team created by the City and County of San Francisco under the leadership of Carrie Bishop, who founded FutureGov, a company that worked with the UK and London government to redesign public services. Most recently, Jim has forged his own virtual reality gaming company in partnership with Sony PlayStation and has purchased the Bute Backpacker, with a mission to refocus the Isle of Bute into a destination holiday.​​

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After a 28-year administrative career with West Midlands Police, I relocated from Warwickshire to the Isle of Bute over five years ago, wanting to be closer to my mother, who moved to the island over 20 years ago. My sister also lives here on Bute, highlighting the family’s strong and long-standing connection to the local community.

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In October 2025, I married my partner, David, and we both enjoy a fulfilling life on Bute with our cat Violet. I own Simply Buteiful in Montague Street and the Isle of Bute Candle Company, two businesses that reflect my passion for creativity, quality craftsmanship, and locally inspired products. Through my work, I am proud to contribute to the island’s independent business community.

 

Since joining the Board, I have assisted with the implementation of several Christmas events which have shown that a unified approach can help our businesses. I love to hear the old stories about Bute and see the pictures showing what a bustling island this was and would love to see our wonderful local businesses thrive long into the future.

I was elected to service as one of three local councillors to Ward 8 Isle of Bute in May 2022. We moved to the island over 20 years ago with our 2 children seeking a better environment to raise our family. As Chairperson of Bute Island Alliance I initiated the initial consultation on the possibility of Bute being the first island to have a business improvement district. I was delighted when it became a reality as it is very important that our local entrepreneurs and other organisations, play an active and positive role in how the island develops. I believe Bute BID has a key role in supporting economic growth through maintaining and building the diversity of independent and family run businesses and significant role increasing footfall to Bute.

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I am currently the Head of Development and Economic Growth with Argyll and Bute Council serving on the Board as a Non-Executive Director in an advisory capacity.  I have over 33 years’ experience in planning, economic development, housing and area regeneration activity and I am also currently on the Board of the Scottish Towns Partnership. I am a frequent visitor to Bute both in the course of my work and also as a visitor enjoying the many qualities of the Island. For me the BID allows the opportunity for local business people to help prioritise what they want to see happen in the community where they live and work.  My aim here is to offer help and advice on how this can be achieved working with a range of different partners based on the island and elsewhere.

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