Gef’s 30 Under 30 Winners: Q&A with Luke McKinlay

Ten categories. Thirty young visionaries making their mark on the Isle of Man. Introducing the all-new #Gef30Under30 winners: the next generation of our island’s leaders.

The Zurich Innovation winners are some of the island’s sharpest young people, making strides in their careers while always prioritising growth and learning.

What is your name and age?

Luke McKinlay, age 28

Job title or role in the community?

Workshop manager for the island’s Police and Fire service vehicles

Current organisation, business or employer?

Isle of Man Government – fleet services

How did you start your career or role in the community?

I began my career as an apprentice aerospace engineer in 2012 with Ronaldsway Aircraft Company Ltd (RLC). This apprenticeship awarded me so many opportunities that I’m very thankful for. During this apprenticeship I was lucky enough to be awarded Isle of Man Apprentice of the Year before going on to win an Innovation Award at the North West Aerospace Alliance Best Apprentice Awards. I attended UCM at this time and achieved an NC and HNC in mechanical engineering. Following the apprenticeship I occupied a number of technical roles before taking up a leadership position as a shift supervisor. At this time, I decided I needed to further my education to assist me in this role, and I enrolled onto a master degree course with Lancaster University to achieve a MSc in manufacturing leadership. This was undertaken whilst in full time employment, and completed during the COVID pandemic. Thankfully the hard work paid off and I achieved a distinction, graduating in December 2021.

Once I completed my studies, I decided it was time to further my career and try something different; this is when I changed from the engineering sector to the motor vehicle sector. I now enjoy the challenge of managing the island’s police and fire services’ fleet of vehicles. It gives me great satisfaction to know that I’m contributing to the smooth operation of the island’s emergency services, and ultimately, helping to keep our island a safe place to work and live. Throughout this journey, I’ve been actively involved in the community, visiting schools to promote careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), and since 2018 I’ve co-organised the Ramsey Motorcycle Show which also exists to create enjoyment and passion within the community for engineering and motor vehicles.

Tell us about your business/industry, is there something interesting about it that most people wouldn’t expect?

From an engineering sector perspective here on the island, there are dozens of businesses. These range from large companies employing over 200 staff to those that only employ a handful. What I find interesting, which some might not know or expect, is that they have customers worldwide, ranging from aerospace, military and defence, oil and gas, science and technology, biomedical and many more. Our island really does play a big part in the global supply chain of these industries. It just goes to show the capability and skill of those on our island, most of which is home-grown. This is another reason why I’m very passionate about our younger generation taking up careers in STEM; it’s important for the island that we maintain and expand our presence in this sector.

Have you experienced any hurdles in your career or community efforts and if so, how did you overcome them?

It’s common for everyone to encounter many hurdles as they progress throughout their careers. However, one significant hurdle I had to face was the completion of my masters degree; this was undertaken at a time when my role as a shift supervisor was highly demanding, and then midway through the three year course, Covid happened, bringing its own unique set of hurdles. Thankfully, it all worked out okay.

A second, more recent hurdle, has been my change in career, which has transitioned from engineering to motor vehicle. Many of the leadership skills and technical knowledge I had gained were directly transferable. However, a lot still had to be learnt about this new environment and working within the public sector.

Tell us about why you think you won the category you did?

I’ve always been a creative thinker and strived to find solutions to problems and develop new ways of thinking. This quality is strongly linked to innovation and has been a foundation of my whole career and personal endeavours. Early on in my career, I won the Innovation Prize at the North West Aerospace Alliance Best Apprentice Awards for a product I had designed, built and tested, which recycled cutting fluids for manufacturing machines. This product ultimately had the potential to save large engineering businesses thousands each year. The dissertation I wrote for my masters degree, whilst employed at RLC, was based upon Business Model Innovation. The idea was to innovate the way the business operated and transition from a purely product-sales based revenue stream to one that also sold a service to their customers through the resourced-based view.

Innovation, without implementation or materialisation of an idea, is just creative thinking. Recently, in a personal capacity, I had the idea of combining my engineering skills with a strong passion for motorcycle racing to develop a new motorcycle that I could race, entirely of my own imagination and construction. I’ve spent the past year developing and manufacturing this motorcycle in my garage at home, and in April this year it was completed. I wasn’t just satisfied with the completed build, I had to put it to the ultimate test and take it to the track and race it. On its first day of racing, to ride it to a podium position was immensely rewarding and satisfying. This achievement encapsulates my passions, skills and work ethic that have also been the foundations to my professional career.

Who are your role models, either on-island or off, in your sector or outside of it?

I have many role models, of which most are close to home. One role model I can list is a New Zealand based engineer, named John Britten, who in the early 1990’s developed his own motorcycle from the ground up and raced it all over the globe, including the Isle of Man TT (to great success!). Although it was one man’s innovative thinking that designed a machine, far more advanced than anything of its time, it could not be created independently; John was also a strong leader and it was this quality of empowering and motivating others that allowed him to assemble a team to bring this idea to a reality. I believe I share these qualities which have strongly contributed to my achievements over the past few years. I suppose my own home-built motorcycle, albeit not on the same scale as John’s, has been inspired by this story.

What?s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Without attempting to sound cringey, one of the college lecturers that taught me when I studied at UCM used to always say that you have two ears and one mouth, it’s always best to listen more than you speak.

What do you wish you knew when you were getting started in your career?

When I left school, I was always under the impression that the career I chose would be the career I had for the rest of my life. I think many others in that situation thought the same, and I’m sure many still do now. I wish I had known then, that it’s not the case. My journey is proof that many of the skills learnt along the way are directly transferable to other industries and sectors. So take the risk and choose something you’re passionate about!

What are your plans for the future?

My plan for the future is to continue to do the best I can in my career and hopefully to progress further into more influential positions, where I can use my innovative thinking and leadership qualities to have a positive impact. Along this journey, I also want to keep inspiring others to follow similar routes into their careers that I have taken. Gef’s 30 under 30 platform has shown the passion, creativity, diversity and capability that the under 30s on our island have, and it provides encouragement that the island has a positive, exciting and economically strong future.

What changes do you hope to see in your sector or community in the coming years?

It’s an exciting time to be an innovator, within the sectors I have worked in, there are huge advancements to help make our planet and environment more green and environmentally friendly. Particularly in my role as a workshop manager for the island’s blue light vehicles, I’m seeing the introduction of more electric and hybrid vehicles. This is a technology that is progressing quickly and I’m sure within the coming years we may see entire fleets transition to either electric, hybrid or even hydrogen powered. Moreover, this is another reason I’m passionate about encouraging the younger generation to take up STEM careers, as these industries are the driving force behind the move to a greener future.

What, for you, are the benefits of staying on or moving back to the island for young people under 30?

The island hosts a hugely diverse range of industries and sectors and with this there are many different employment opportunities that arise. UCM is also a fantastic facility that the island has where people at any age can seek further education/training. I have benefitted hugely from UCM, as the engineering training facilities they have is brilliant. The Isle of Man Government has continued to invest millions in this facility over the past few years. The island is also renowned for its safety, and is certainly an attractive quality for those looking to settle here.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

I’d just like to share my thanks. I appreciate the efforts that go into creating this platform to showcase the under 30s on our island. I’m so grateful to be a part of it this year, so
thank you all!