A true digital specialist
Darren started his digital life as a 4GL Green Screen Developer in the exciting worlds of tantalum capacitors and container shipping (your guess is as good as ours). When he was finally let out of the coding basement into the bright modern sunshine of the web, his skills led him to run development teams, managing some of the world’s busiest travel and luxury websites (South-West Trains, East Midlands Trains, East Coast Mainline, SuperSeaCat, Orient Express Hotels & Luxury Avenue Shopping Mall).
By the time Darren headed a digital department in Contract Publishing, his all-round skills meant he could apply his hand to pretty much everything from Accountancy to Zoos. As accomplished as he is, Darren accepts the digital world will forever be moving forwards at a mind-blowing rate, and the quest for knowledge is a never-ending one.
Early in 2014, t&s went in search of a new digital expert to lead their ever-growing online offer. The job description listed a broad experience of apps, digital issues, websites, social media, advertising, competitions, email campaigns and content strategy. It was a wish list written in more hope than expectation, but in Darren, t&s got the lot.
What do you do all day?
I’ll be working on ten things at once. Pitching at 9, writing specs at 10, performing chemical experiments involving weights, water and heat (aka making coffee, I’m a bit of a coffee snob if truth be told) at 11, Facebook campaigns at 12, sampling the best that Thornbury Deli has to offer at lunch, then reporting at 2, coding at 3, briefing at 4 and planning at 5.
What are you best at?
Defining solutions to a problem and being able to explain that solution to developers in granular detail and clients in broad strokes. Continually broadening my understanding and knowledge of the digital world, the lexicon of acronyms and being able to talk algorithms, metrics and whatever else, day in, day out and getting up to speed with what’s coming tomorrow.
And the real Darren?
My passions outside of work? Torquay United, swimming vast distances outdoors, going to gigs and attempting insanely complex recipes.
