An expanding island tech company is planning to raise its profile as it takes on more staff for expansion.

Manx Business Solutions, known as MBS, has a team of 17 that is growing rapidly - three people have already been taken on this year and it expects to recruit at least three more in the next few months.

The Tromode-based company provides so-called business ‘solutions’ to more than 300 clients in 39 countries using world-leading IT products.

The ‘specialist provider of document management and business automation solutions’ appointed former leading high profile government figure Chris Corlett as head of business development last January.

Now speaking to Business News from the office at Solutions House on the Tromode Estate, Mr Corlett said he is hoping the company can raise its profile in the island as he admits many people are not even aware of its existence.

And Mr Corlett, 51, said he feels ‘re-invigorated’ in his new role. He is thoroughly enjoying being back in the private sector . And he admits decisions get made much quicker working for a company such as MBS than in the government.

He describes MBS, founded 22 years ago by Rupert and Julie Leaton, as a ‘success story for a Manx business’.

He said: ‘We are an export earner for the 21st century.’

When he was recruited earlier this year, the company said Mr Corlett brought a ‘wealth of experience’, with previous senior management roles inAccenture, Ernst & Young, IBM and latterly the Isle of Man Government where for 14 years he was chief executive of the Departments of Trade and Industry, Social Care and then Economic Development.

Mr Corlett said: ‘Don’t get me wrong, I had a blast when I was working in government. I got to travel to the Cannes Film Festival and met film stars. I got to meet politicians and business leaders, I had lunch with [prominent Tory] William Hague. I also briefed Prince Andrew about the Manx economy. But as I say every now and again you need a change to do different things and this is a fresh challenge that I’m enjoying.

‘Here at MBS we have a great business that is doing well. We think we and others will benefit if we can raise the profile here in the island to help those who might want to consider applying for the jobs being offered so they know a little more about us.

‘We want to make sure we have the best possible candidates because we have some interesting and exciting careers we can offer.’

In the next few weeks MBS will be seeking to recruit:

An account manager to help serve their existing clients evenmore effectively

A business development manager to help win more clients

An apprentice solutions engineer to help deliver the firm’s world-leading IT products for their clients.

Mr Corlett told Business News the buzzwords of the moment are ‘‘digital transformation’’.

He said this means using technology to serve customers more effectively and efficiently.

‘It involves automating much activity that is still highly manual - a recent study estimated that over 65 per cent of businesses are still heavily relaint upon manual,paper-based processes.’

He stressed this was not hype and and said that according to the MIT Centre for Digital Business, organisations that have embraced digitaltransformation are 26 per cent more profitable than their competitors who have not.

MBS’s so-called ‘solutions’ include one of the world’s leading content management systems called Laserfiche and DocuSign, a leading electronic signature system.

Mr Corlett put the success of the company - growth of more than 25 per cent last year - down mainly to word of mouth recommendations.

‘This business, started by Rupert and Julie Leaton, has grown from a start-up to a multi-million pound operation.’

Manxman Mr Corlett said there was a ‘remarkable degree of continuity’ in his working life.

He explained he spent 14 years working in the private sector before his 14 years in the public sector with government.

He said: My career started in management consultancy, I had 14 years travelling the world delivering major business change.

‘When I was in government, a big part of what I did was leading and managing, again major change, to help grow the economy and improve public services.

‘Now I’m back again advising clients and helping them to deliver major business change levering technology.

Asked if he missed working for the government he said: ‘I enjoyed the diversity of working in Isle of Man Government, and it was a fascinating place to work. But everybody needs a change once in a while. Fourteen years was enough for me .

‘I have always enjoyed a great deal of diversity having worked for many employers in many roles.

‘One of the great things I love about working in a small, dynamic organisation like MBS is how quickly we can make decisions and deliver actions.

Mr Corlett said that in leading the DTI, then social care and finally the DED ‘I was trying to lead a range of changes to grow the Manx economy and deliver better value of money for the Manx taxpayer.

Mr Corlett said decisions were being made ‘much, more quicker’ in the business he was in now.

‘The owners run the business. Rupert Leaton is managing director and Julie is a director and as a result we can quickly get decisions and take action.

‘That’s valuable both for us as a team and our clients.’

Asked if the government could take a leaf from the example set by companies such as MBS he quoted Churchill’s words which went along the lines of: ‘‘Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all others tried.’’

Mr Corlett said: ‘In government you have to consult with many different stakeholder groups and engage many different people so everyone feels informed and involved. And that process can take months if not years.

‘When you are in a teamof 17 people it can take minutes.’

Mr Corlett said he still has plenty of friends from the government but he no longer has any input and he has moved on.

Asked if he has any opinions about the new Department for Enterprise which took over from the Department of Economic Development, and the new executive agencies he said he would rather not comment.

But he said: ‘Obviously I wish the Isle of Man and the Department for Enterprise every success and I hope the new agencies can help stimulate further economic growth which has been so important to the well-being of our community.’

Mr Corlett said that being the chief executive of a government department requires a ‘huge amount of personal energy and after 14 years I felt there was nothing new I could bring to it and I felt it was time for somebody to have a fresh chance, and for me to have a fresh challenge.

‘I do feel re-invigorated for the move.

‘And Rupert [Leaton]is the best boss anybody could really ask for.’

Mr Corlett told how he took some time travelling after he left government.

‘I worked out when I left government that I had spent more of my waking life in a suit than out of one.’

When he returned from travelling he did some independent consulting work before the MBS job came up.