At the age of 16, Darren Leigh decided he’d had enough of full-time academia.
Opting not to pursue further education, the ambitious teen was instead intent on moving directly into business and began a YTS apprenticeship, which, during the 1980s, was a popular on-the-job training course for school leavers.
Having completed his YTS with a local manufacturing firm, Darren spent the first decade of his career in the sector, before moving into broader supply chain finance and management roles.
Over the years, he’s worked under various different ownership structures, in multiple sectors, across numerous geographies, and has been a CFO or a Managing Director through the full spectrum of economic cycles – from the dot-com boom and bust to the global financial crisis.
Eventually, Darren’s varied journey took him to Unipart, joining as CFO in 2020 and assuming the top job in 2022.
Reflecting on his reasons for joining the supply chain, logistics and manufacturing specialist, Darren says: “I was actually approached by a headhunter but already knew about the heritage of the company and the quality of the brand at the time.
“I met with the leadership team through that process and was really impressed – in particular with The Unipart Way.”
Privileged to lead
Refined over a period of more than 20 years, The Unipart Way is billed as a designed system that engages every single employee within the organisation.
In addition to motivating members of the workforce, it’s aimed at equipping them with the skills to diagnose problems and create innovative solutions that will make a dramatic difference.
“Unipart is a great British company and I really enjoy the fact I’m leading such a popular and well-respected brand,” Darren continues. “We have some incredible people in our workforce of just over 12,000 and a highlight of my role is visiting sites and meeting people from the whole spectrum of our business.
“Linking back to The Unipart Way, we have an amazing culture. For any CEO, to know you’re leading a business that has a really strong culture, is really quite comforting.”
Unsurprisingly, as the CEO of a major multinational, it can’t all be plain sailing for Darren – but he genuinely relishes the challenges that come his way.
He explains that the two main problems currently giving him headaches are innately linked: “The biggest challenge is to continue evolving and adapting our business to be able to deal with and manage ever-more-complex supply chains.
“At the same time, I don't want to damage the amazing culture we have at Unipart. It’s something we have to continue protecting and nurturing.
“Managing those two challenges in parallel is a big challenge in itself, but I really do enjoy that element of the role.”
Connecting with people
Hailing from a working-class background, Darren believes he was born with a natural drive and determination to succeed.
He thinks back to his teenage years and his apprenticeship, when he started “right at the bottom of the pile” – answering phones, filing paperwork and stamping invoices – before progressing through virtually the entire range of roles and functions available within business.
Darren concludes: "One of the things I've managed to do is develop an ability to connect and communicate with people at all levels of an organisation, right the way up to board level and beyond that to shareholders and stakeholders outside the company. That's really helped me in my career.”
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