Aberdeen businessman and philanthropist Ian Suttie dies

The 80-year-old was one of the most prominent industrialists to emerge from Aberdeen’s transformation into the oil and gas capital of Europe and played a central role in shaping the city’s modern energy sector through a string of entrepreneurial ventures spanning exploration, services and manufacturing.

Both he and wife Dorothy spent millions of pounds supporting local good causes, most notably the £21 million Suttie Centre delivered by the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian and the Suttie Art Space at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

Mr Suttie, a father-of-three and grandfather-of-eight, passed away at the weekend following a lengthy battle with dementia.

Reflecting on their five decades of marriage, his wife Dorothy has today [Monday] paid a moving tribute to her husband.

She said: “Ian had a tremendous zest for life, and together we shared so many wonderful times. Over more than 50 years of marriage, we travelled the world and made countless friends along the way.

“I was proud to support Ian in his business endeavours, and together we raised three lovely children, Julia, Fiona and Martin. I will miss him deeply, but I have a lifetime of memories to cherish, and I look forward to creating new ones with our children, grandchildren and the friends who have been such a great source of support in recent years.”

Born in Aberdeen in 1945 to Jack and Maisie Suttie, Mr Suttie grew up in a close-knit family. His father ran three licensed grocery shops under the name J.A. Suttie, while his mother worked as a hairdresser. He attended Broomhill Primary before moving on to Robert Gordon’s College, where he laid the foundations for a career in business.

After school, he joined Meston & Co in Golden Square and studied part-time at the University of Aberdeen as part of his Chartered Accountancy qualification, which typically took five to six years for school leavers at the time. He met Dorothy in 1967, and they married in 1971 at King’s College Chapel.

In 1972, he moved to Hastings, East Sussex, to work for an American conglomerate establishing a manufacturing facility for televisions and white goods. He returned to Aberdeen five years later to join the rapidly growing oil and gas sector, holding senior roles at companies including Houlder, Interdrill and Dan Smedvig.

In 1988, as managing director of Petrocon, he led a management buyout of the Aberdeen business with private equity backing – a move that would shape the next decades of his career. This led to the creation of Offshore Rentals, which became a cornerstone of Orwell Group, a collection of businesses including Wellserv and Downhole Technology. Orwell grew rapidly and, in 2000, was acquired by Weatherford.

A year earlier, Ian had quietly acquired a 0.91% share in the Buchan oil field, laying the groundwork for First Oil Expro, which became the largest private UK-owned oil and gas company, turning over £100m at its peak with just seven employees.

However, there were also lows. Like many firms, First Oil Expro was hit hard by the 2015 oil downturn, which led to the business falling into administration and its assets being sold off. Elsewhere, an attempt to revive the troubled Richards textile mill in Aberdeen also proved unsuccessful when the company entered administration in 2004.

Undeterred, serial entrepreneur Mr Suttie continued to be involved in a wide range of ventures, including whisky bottling, property development, hospitality, and further oil and gas service companies. These enterprises were brought together under the First Tech Group, which today employs 400 people across the UK in energy, oil and gas, and renewables.

Today the business is led by Mr Suttie’s son, Martin, who today paid tribute to his father’s energy and determination, but also to hugely influential role that his mother played by his side.

He said: “I speak for myself and both my sisters when I say we are immensely proud to call Ian Suttie our dad. He was a loving and devoted dad and papa, who embraced life and approached every day with an energy and determination that were truly unmatched.

“His love for his grandchildren shone brightly in later life, right up until illness took hold. We are also deeply proud of our mum, who supported dad in an extraordinary way and played a huge part in his success. In recent years especially, her patience and affection were remarkable, and we cannot thank her enough.

“As a boss, he was demanding in the best possible way. In every business, he pushed the teams to keep moving forward. Decisions were made quickly, and things got done – creating an environment where both the companies and the people within them could thrive.

“Of course, not everything went perfectly, but the culture he built allowed people to learn, grow and succeed. I know many will feel, as I do, that they learned a great deal from working with Ian Suttie – none more so than me.”

Mr Suttie’s impact on Aberdeen’s business community and civic life will be felt for many years to come. Through his entrepreneurial vision, he helped shape the city’s modern energy sector, while his family’s philanthropic contributions have left a lasting mark on its healthcare and cultural landscape.

He will be remembered not only as a formidable businessman and innovator, but as a devoted husband, father and grandfather, whose energy, ambition and generosity touched the lives of many.

Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.