Crouch was definitive voice of economic mission trip to UK

The line from Gov. Phil Murphy about Tim Crouch at the roundtable event was easy: “If you listen to him, you’d think he was representing Cambridge, but he’s actually representing the state of New Jersey,” he said.

It was an idea that played out throughout the governor’s five-day economic mission to the UK. The trip, sponsored and arranged by Choose New Jersey, wrapped up Tuesday morning.

Crouch, a native of Salisbury and a longtime diplomat, was a key figure throughout the trip — not only helping to set up meetings, but also helping the Choose New Jersey delegation navigate any situations that only a longtime resident could understand.

It was a home game for Crouch, as they say, one he enjoyed.

“There was something very special about it,” he said.

Crouch understands the relationship better than most.

“A lot gets talked about the special relationship, and the phrase can be a bit misleading, but I understand it,” he said. “The substance of the ties between the business community, particularly in Greater London and greater New York and all of the economy that spans a good chunk of New Jersey, are so connected.

“The people-to-people ties are strong. The transport ties are strong. The business culture is different, but compatible. So, there is something quite special about looking at something where you’re not starting from scratch on anything. I know all of the background.”

Crouch said he loves viewing that relationship from the U.S. side.

The former diplomat, he served in two key trade roles for just under 10 years at the department of business and trade for the UK government, working in the U.S. — first overseeing the British government’s creative film and TV team in North America and the trade investment that goes with it, then working all of their foreign direct investment teams in North America.

It was a big job, one that had him overseeing 13 teams and 120 people across the U.S. and Canada. He oversaw all inbound sectors to the UK — very similar to how Choose New Jersey operates.

But it didn’t feel right.

For one, Crouch wanted to be ‘more connected’ he said to the work he was doing. Being in the U.S. while helping companies come to the UK felt distant.

“I was working for the British government out of the consulate in New York and I was ready for a change,” he said. “I wanted to feel more connected to the place I was serving.

“There’s something about working on inward investment to a place that’s far away that feels a bit detached, whereas now I actually see the benefits of it up close.”

Crouch also started to feel a disconnect with the conservative government, which was in power throughout his time as a diplomat.

“I wanted to work for someone who’s dynamic and has a clear and coherent vision for the place, which under the late days of the Conservative government, was not true in the UK,” he said. “I was done working for a government that had run out of ideas.

“I wanted to work for somebody who had a really clear blueprint, a strong opinion on what they thought their place should be and could be and put resources into making it happen.”

Crouch, who now carries a U.S. passport, is happy to do whatever is necessary to help the state — even move out of it.

He was hired as the chief strategy officer for Choose, a position he undertook at the beginning of 2023 — but then became the executive director of Choose’s new office in California at the start of this year.

Wes Mathews, the CEO of Choose New Jersey, couldn’t have been happier to bring Crouch on board.

“Tim Crouch is one of the best hires I’ve ever made in my career – not just at Choose, but anywhere I’ve been,” he said. “He’s a phenomenal diplomat and a phenomenal ambassador for New Jersey.” Crouch’s willingness to move to California – and excel there – means a lot to Mathews. “For him to accept the offer to move to Silicon Valley and lead our West Coast office over the summer demonstrates his agility and reliability to advance New Jersey’s efforts across the country,” he said. And, since he heads up the state’s film and TV efforts, it also puts him closer to the action.

Which brings us back to the opening idea: There’s nothing like being where you have the most impact.

Of course, taking a business trip back to your homeland can be pretty fun, too — especially when the trip coincides with your 40th birthday, which he marked with a very British celebration: He went to a rugby match.

Mathews was happy that Crouch got some family time. Afterall, gives Crouch a lot of credit for the success of the trip.

“He obviously knows the country well, so planning this trip with him was really an ace up our sleeve,” Mathews said.

Crouch said he enjoyed the blast from the past.

“It was interesting to dust off some of the old Rolodex,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to say, ‘If we want to achieve ‘X’, you need to talk to ‘Y’,” he said.

Nicer still to do it with an accent that leaves no doubt about where he’s from.

Read the article here.