Following on from CIM's launch of 50 North East Marketing Greats earlier in the year, they invite you to meet Darren Richardson, Director of Gardiner Richardson, a creative communications agency in Newcastle with an international client base.

The initiative aims to develop and retain marketing talent in the North East region.  Diane Earles, Network Manager for CIM, explains "Through the 'Marketing Greats' we want to provide insight into the importance of a strategic marketing function and to inspire both existing marketing professionals and young people considering a career in marketing.  Each 'Marketing Great' is profiled in an online case study which includes their words of wisdom for aspiring marketers alongside their career story and why they enjoy working in the region."  She continued, "Developing our original 'Great North East Brands' initiative, which ran for a number of years, 'Marketing Greats' provides a regional platform for marketing to be recognised as having a key role in business growth while celebrating the number of senior marketers located in the North East." 

Like Darren Richardson, who always wanted to be in the creative industry and, after graduating with BA Hons degree in Graphic Design from Newcastle Polytechnic, has become an associate member of the Chartered Society of Designers, a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Vice Chair of Trustees of Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and a board member for the Foundation of Light.  As if that wasn't enough, he is also actively involved with Founders4Schools and the Sorrell Foundation's Saturday Club, working with 12-14 year old students to help inspire them to think about careers in the communications sector. But he still finds time to get involved with many design projects, he said, "Over the years I have worked with clients and colleagues around the globe, but the North East continues to be the creative hotbed to which I always return. We have some of the brightest, most enquiring and talented minds in the world right here in the region, many of them working right here at Gardiner Richardson, the company I co-founded with my business partner Lucy Gardiner nearly 20 years ago. The success of Gardiner Richardson is proof that, with the right team you can produce world-leading creative wherever you're based. Nurturing and encouraging talent is something I am deeply passionate about and I would encourage marketing professionals and young people to follow their dreams - with the right attitude, hard work and dedication do pay off."

The 50 'North East Marketing Greats' profiles can be found at www.cim.co.uk/NEmarketinggreats