Au Revoir Crooksy

Today my colleague and friend Paul left the company we have worked at together for over 8 years. Paul has been with the company for 12 years and wanted an opportunity to pursue a few things in life that he needed time that the demands of our work don’t allow.
 
Paul has been an inspiration to not only me, but almost every single design engineer that has come through the company. A man that has shared over 30+ years of experience in designing racing cars at the highest level, often with success.
 
Paul’s career has seen him design Formula One cars for the likes of Toleman, Benetton, Ligier, Simtek, Jordan, TWR Arrows, British American Racing, and most recently Virgin. He has also designed touring cars that Nigel Mansell drove, Hill climb cars, and for the past 8 years predominantly Le Mans prototype sportscars. The cars Paul has lead the design of have won their classes at the Sebring 12 hours in America, the Le Mans 24 hours, and Spa in Belgium, to name just a few places.
 
Our paths first crossed something like 19 years ago. I was a somewhat fresh  faced graduate starting out in the industry and there was this steely eyed, absolutely focused designer who wasn’t shy of expressing his opinion that had come from Formula One. Back then it felt like he was not a man to mess with.
 
When we started working directly together about 8 years ago now it was a different thing. Paul’s focus and ability to get the work done is just second to none. His commitment has been absolute, but he has also been a real gentleman and has certainly brought me along as a designer, opened me up to a variety of areas of design and engineering that were not part of my career until he gave me the benefit of his experience. If you want to learn, and are willing to listen, ‘have your antenna up on receive and not on transmit’ as Paul would say, then he is more than willing to give you his time.
 
Thank you Paul for all the experience, the laughs, the coaching, and just being the man to turn to. Enjoy doing whatever you choose to do.