Meet Don, our Chief Operating Officer. A great COO is nothing short of critical in a growing media agency, and since his arrival Don has proved himself to be a game-changer time and time again. Don has both feet on the ground AND a visionary outlook when it comes to the future of agencies and technology. But what about the past? How did Don’s unique journey guide him to the position of COO, and what does this mean for the future of AIP?

 

How it started…

Don’s career in digital media began back in 2008. He dove into the industry just as Facebook was emerging – long before the ‘Like’ button became a thing. Don quickly recognised that digital ads had the potential to revolutionise businesses, and  jumped at the opportunity to get involved.

Over the years, his journey eventually led him to oversee the Craft functions and operations team for one of the UK’s leading specialist media agencies. This included spearheading a launching a martech platform dedicated to the education sector.

In 2021, Don embarked on a new adventure, transitioning to a role as a senior product marketing leader at a global gaming technology firm. It was a perfect fusion of his passion for marketing and technology, but he soon found himself yearning for the dynamic agency environment.

Don made the decision to join us in early 2023 when he realised we are building a unique type of agency – one characterised by transparency and effectiveness, and where talented media experts can make a real mark on the industry.

 

So much mo’ than a COO

Don’s day-to-day role as aip‘s COO involves an endless and ever-changing range of responsibilities. (Because we’re not really ones for standing still, or accepting business-as-usual.) As well as overseeing daily operations, he is a huge and influential advocate of harnessing AI, data and technology to elevate our services and grow our clients. Don’s unique, hands-on approach to being a COO sees him getting under the skin of our agency AND our clients, so that we can build media, tech and creative solutions that redefine their marketing approach. Don is a business as UNusual kind of guy.

One of Don’s recent projects involves training marketing teams to harness AI effectively (you can learn more about that here), helping brands get ahead of the AI age and remain at the forefront of the metamorphic media landscape. He collaborates closely with our founders and leadership team to keep us at the top of our game, and knows everybody at the agency from top to bottom, making sure the right talent is on the right project at the right time.

 

Why Don loves aip 

(Obviously we asked ;)) We’re big about fostering a positive, inclusive culture and Don told us that the standout aspect of working at AIP is the people. He’s a very polite person, so he probably felt he had to say that. But it also happens to be true!

He enjoys being surrounded by a team of dedicated professionals whose expertise has and continues to make his experience as COO unpredictable and exceptional. Don embodies our possiblist mindset, and was instrumental in pushing our expansion into Cape Town and is nurturing more exciting opportunities beyond the UK.

 

How it’s going…

We keep Don pretty busy, but he has a couple of AI training for marketers slots available in Jan and Feb. To grab one for yourself and your team, you can contact us here. Or, for a direct line to the man himself, just pop Don a mail.