Greater Oxford Area
I am Joint Managing Director at Darke & Taylor Ltd. I was appointed as a Director when I became part of the team that undertook an MBO of the company in 2008 and as part of an on-going succession strategy was appointed as Managing Director in 2018. I am responsible for a range of commercial elements of the business including overall strategy, finance, innovation, business development and marketing, work in progress reviews and ensuring D&T continues to develop to meet the ever changing requirements of its clients and the wider industry. Darke & Taylor can trace its history back to Oxford’s first electrical engineering company. For over 65 years the company has developed in response to the rapidly changing requirements and technical advances in the building services industry whilst maintaining a commitment to direct employment and developing the careers of its valued staff. The Company operates in a number of key strategic construction market sectors including super-prime residential, public sector, universities and commercial office space. Specialists in the design and delivery of exceptional MEP installations, capabilities include mains power and backup systems, bespoke and low energy lighting, HVAC, public health, fire and security systems, IT and smart-home network cabling, and renewable energy technology. Additional services include test, inspection, commissioning and facilities maintenance to help customers safely manage the critical systems that keep their premises operating and protected. In 2025 Darke & Taylor become an employee-owned business and as we build for the future, I am dedicated to maintaining our reputation for commitment and quality, to the development and training of our directly employed work force and to ensuring we remain at the leading edge of the M&E sector by keeping technology and environmental awareness to the fore.
Responsible for the spectrum of commercial elements across the business including overall strategy, business development and marketing, work in progress reviews and ensuring Darke & Taylor continues to develop to meet the ever-changing requirements of its clients and the wider industry.
I was the Chair of the Thames Valley Sub-Region of the South East Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN). Across the country, the AANs are engaged with promoting all aspects of Apprenticeships and our ambassadors act as advocates of apprenticeships promoting their benefits to relevant stakeholders. The ultimate aim is to promotes apprenticeships through business to business and business to education activity, supporting and influencing a wide range of key stakeholders.
Director and Board Member of D&T's subsidiary company Applied Sustainable Energy that specialised in renewables and energy efficiency. The expertise provided by this company was integrated into Darke & Taylor's own service offering during 2016 and is now the company's Energy Solutions specialism. https://darkeandtaylor.co.uk/disciplines_specialisms/energy-solutions/
Part-time Finance Director and Shareholder of innovative, award winning, web-based start-up that implemented Collaborative Buying Communities amongst United Kingdom state schools before exiting to TSL Education Limited in October 2010. Worked with the executive team to develop business strategy, recruit high-profile non-exec directors, raise £400K in three rounds of seed funding and arranging additional bank lending.