To credit the success the British Empire to a specific group of professionals isn't going to work. This was Britain's Golden Age.
To begin with, the independent countries of England and Scotland had successfully unified to create a more economically stable country. Also, being an island gave Britain a crucial vantage point over the rest of the European countries in a time which was vastly becoming reliant on naval forces as a means of power.
The above, combined with great inventors such as John Harrison and Richard Trevithick added to their advantage.
My conclusion is that it was a combination of good politics, revolutionary thinkers and hard workers. The position of Britain itself, of course, is a big factor. Very comparable to Rome's position within the Mediterranean and its internal politics which allowed it to expand rapidly.