Meet Stephen Craig, ABL Group Director for Rig Ops Services
The team at ABL Group shares the passion, vision and values for working in energy and the world’s oceans, de-risking and driving the energy transition. We are driven by the idea that the best work is born from professionalism, diligence… and fun. You know ABL Group, but do you know our team?
Give us a glimpse into your day-to-day life at ABL and leading the rig operations services. What keeps you on your toes?
No two days are ever the same at ABL, and that’s exactly what keeps the role exciting. My mornings usually start early, jumping straight into calls with our APAC teams before shifting focus to operational matters across the Middle East and India. By mid‑day, I’m working closely with our colleagues in Europe and Africa, and I typically wrap up the day catching up with the Americas before heading to bed.
Across all these time zones, the common thread is momentum, live rig moves, risk reviews, client discussions, and supporting our regional teams as they navigate operational challenges. A significant part of my time is spent balancing the immediate demands of operational delivery with longer‑term business development.
I’m also deeply involved in mentoring regional leads, reviewing complex move plans, and ensuring that our rig operations services maintain the same high standard of consistency and quality across every region.
In short, it’s a role that keeps me on my toes which is fast-paced, global, and always evolving. Rig moves are high-risk, high-value operations where decisions matter, often in real time. You’re constantly managing interfaces between clients, contractors, surveyors and crews, across different cultures, regulations, and environments. It’s demanding, but very rewarding when a challenging operation is executed safely and successfully.
What drew you to the industry and what keeps you passionate about it?
I moved into the offshore and consultancy world after spending my early career deep‑sea in the merchant navy, followed by seven years as a marine pilot. I was drawn to offshore consultancy because it blends hands‑on seamanship with the challenge of moving large rigs safely between locations.
There’s something uniquely satisfying about manoeuvring these massive units in close proximity to fixed structures, every move demands precision, situational awareness and a calm, methodical approach to problem‑solving. It’s an industry where experience genuinely matters; you’re not just applying theory, you’re relying on judgement forged over years at sea.
What keeps me passionate about the job today is still that same balance of people and complexity. Offshore operations sit at the crossroads of safety, engineering and logistics, and I enjoy helping teams navigate those challenges with confidence and clarity.
One of the most rewarding parts of the role is developing new surveyors as they enter consultancy and rig‑moving scopes, and watching them grow into capable Tow Masters and regional leaders. Seeing teams take ownership, apply sound judgement and build their confidence is incredibly fulfilling and that aspect of the role has only become more important to me over the years.
Can you tell us about something exciting you are working on right now?
Two things stand out at the moment:
One is the development of our dedicated rig move training programme. We’re building a structured rig-move course and certification pathway to strengthen competency, standardise best practice and support both internal staff and external clients. Given how critical rig moves are, investing in formal training and knowledge transfer is something I’m very passionate about.
The second is our growing involvement in Egypt. We’re supporting a number of jack-up and rig relocation projects there, and at the same time helping strengthen local capability and client relationships. Egypt is becoming an increasingly active and important market, and it’s exciting to be involved in shaping how ABL supports that growth.
What does the future of energy and oceans look like right now?
It’s a fascinating time to be in the industry. Traditional offshore oil and gas is still very active and will remain essential for many years, but at the same time we’re seeing rapid growth in offshore renewables, life-extension projects, decommissioning and hybrid energy solutions.
From an oceans perspective, the focus on safety, environmental protection and sustainability is stronger than ever and rightly so. For companies like ABL, the opportunity is to apply our offshore engineering and marine assurance expertise across both conventional and new energy sectors, supporting a responsible transition while maintaining the highest standards of safety and integrity.
Beyond the work, what makes you tick outside of the office?
Family is number one. I’m very family-focused and spend as much time as I can with my wife and children. Sport plays a big role in our lives, my daughter is very much into her scuba diving and Netball and my son is football-mad, I’m a lifelong Everton supporter, I help coach a local youth football team and I still try to keep fit myself by running.
Living in Dubai gives us the chance to travel, explore and enjoy time outdoors, which helps keep a healthy balance alongside a demanding global role.
What makes me tick the most outside work is family time added in with all our animals, the chickens probably get more time out of me than should be allowed, and then there is the constant need to learn; anything from going back to university through to building DIY projects; hence the chickens, as that was my first project.
More about Stephen
Position: Group Director – Rig operations offshore
Office: Dubai
Hobbies: Football Coaching for local Youth Team, Spending time with Family and being a Taxi service to my Children
Favourite Movie/Song: Any books by Frederick Forsyth – however only seem to have time to read when on holidays