“Do your thing, but do it without impeding others.”

That was 18-year-old Donald Scott’s advice to other young people when he was interviewed by The Bermuda Recorder newspaper in 1971.

He was in his second year at the Sixth Form Centre, the precursor to the Bermuda College, and thinking of studying law in England.

But then a teacher at the school changed his mind.

“My economics teacher at the Sixth Form Centre, George Spencer, was quite influential,” said Mr Scott, now 70. “He noticed the grasp that I showed for learning economics.”

He took a job as a statistical clerk in the Department of Statistics to earn some money. Calvin Smith, Bermuda’s first chief statistician, encouraged him to go to university.

“I applied to universities and also for a public service training bursary,” Mr Scott said. “The beauty of the bursary is in return for a fully-funded university education, the recipient is required to work in the public sector for an equal number of years in the field in which they had been trained.”

He got the bursary, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and sociology with honours, from Canada’s Dalhousie University.

He returned to Bermuda six years later and took a job as a statistical officer with the Department of Statistics.

At that time he really had no idea his career path would take him on a 34-year journey to the heights of Bermuda’s Civil Service. Over the years he was Permanent Secretary of Health, Financial Secretary, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service.

“I have a passion for good public policy,” Mr Scott said. “I am driven by a desire to make a positive difference in my life encounters. If public policy is well crafted, soundly budgeted and efficiently delivered, it makes for a happier citizen in the overall order of things related to the wellbeing of the people.”

When he went to the Ministry of Health in 1997, the heads of department asked him if he knew anything about health, coming from a finance background.

“I told them [I’d] looked over the health of the economy. In this role, I would be looking over the health of the people. They laughed and we got on with it.”

Mr Scott grew up on Woodlands Road in Pembroke, the oldest of nine children.

His mother Valerie Scott was the Registrar General for 13 years and helped to modernise the office.

“My mother was an extraordinary person of immense character,” Mr Scott said. “She displayed qualities of intellect, quiet confidence, self-pride, determination to succeed, kindness and love of people.

“I think that all of these qualities shone through in her role as Registrar General. On reflection, I believe that the model she exemplified drew me towards a career in public service and public policy. You could say that my mother was my first mentor.”

When he was appointed chief statistician in 1986, he had a chance to work with his mother in her dual capacity as Registrar General/Parliamentary Registrar on a special project.

“The project was to increase the completion rate of the annual voter registration process for use by the Boundaries Commission which was to convene in 1987 to redraw Constituency Boundaries for General and Bye-Elections,” he said. “The project, which also included resources from the Government Data Processing Unit, was successful.”

His father, George Scott, was also a strong influence, starting out as a janitor and working his way up to become a senior supervisor at the Bermuda Post Office.

“He dreamt big and was prepared to take a risk,” Mr Scott said. “For my father, the sky was the limit; and nothing was accomplished without giving it a try. These traits complemented his creativity, enquiring mind and disciplined work ethic.”

Looking back at his career Mr Scott is most proud of the time he spent as Financial Secretary.

When he entered the Ministry of Finance, 23 years ago, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development had just launched its global initiative on harmful tax practices.

Many international financial centres, including Bermuda, were viewed as unfairly attracting mobile capital from onshore jurisdictions using tax incentives.

“This was never the case with Bermuda,” Mr Scott said. “However, compelling arguments needed to be marshalled and treaties for exchanging information on taxes needed to be negotiated with OECD countries to avoid being listed as an ‘uncooperative jurisdiction’, [being put on the] grey list or black list.”

He developed a unit within the Finance Ministry to negotiate Tax Information Exchange Agreements.

“The successful work of this unit in delivering TIEAs led to Bermuda’s removal from the OECD grey list,” he said. “It was a memorable moment for me.”

The global financial crisis of 2008 to 2010 hit while he was in that role, giving him one of the biggest challenges of his career.

Mr Scott said: “Providing advice at the highest level of government, in the crucial public policy areas of public sector borrowing, tax policy, financial stability and related policy briefs, was a daunting task in that moment of crisis.”

As a civil servant, there was often a lot of pressure to get things right, and meet the high expectations of the community.

“I do sometimes wonder what might have happened if I had accepted an offer to work in another place,” he said. “During my career journey, such offers were put to me, including a local asset management firm, an investment bank in New York, and an economic research entity in an African nation.”

He and his wife Leona met in the Sixth Form Centre as teenagers. They have been married 49 years and have three children.

They retired together in 2013 to travel and spend more time with their four grandchildren. “It was hugely fulfilling,” Mr Scott said.

Despite that, he took on another busy role in 2021 when he became chairman of the Bermuda Monetary Authority.

“I love my country,” he said. “If asked to assist in a public policy area, after consultation with family, and if the work-leisure balance stays in the range of reasonable, I will likely say yes.”

To unwind, he enjoys photography, reading and exercise. “I used to run and cycle for relaxation, which has transitioned to walking with an occasional jog thrown in,” Mr Scott said.

Today, his advice to young people has evolved since his teenage years.

“Good character and a sound education will help you solve many of life’s challenges,“ Mr Scott said.

Lifestyle profiles the island’s senior citizens every Wednesday. Contact Jessie Moniz Hardy on 278-0150 or jmhardy@royalgazette.com with the full name and contact details and the reason you are suggesting them