Consulting

"Darren joined the HFA in September 2019 as Acting Chief Executive Officer. The FA had been asked to produce an Independent Review on staffing at our organisation that resulted in two senior long serving members of staff leaving the organisation in January 2020.
Throughout the process Darren was a source of great support to the Board of Directors, myself and 10 staff. He handled what was a very difficult situation with great sensitivity whilst also ensuring that we followed correct legal procedures. At times this necessitated him dealing firmly with one of the departing members of staff. He established an excellent working relationship with all staff during this time and they are now a far happier team than existed prior to his arrival. He also ensured delivery and opening of our new 3G pitch in December 2019 that had been complicated by legal issues outside our control. Darren was employed to work 2 days per week but in reality he was providing support to staff and myself on virtually a daily basis. He was an absolute pleasure to work with and I will always be grateful for his advice and guidance throughout the 7 months he worked for us.
I can fully recommend him to any future employer. I also happy to answer any questions you may have in respect of Darren."

"The Hertfordshire Football Association secured the services of Darren on a three month contract to provide senior management cover following unexpected resignations. We were more than satisfied with his contribution to the organisation during his time with us. He played a key role in ensuring that our new facility opened on time and was fully functioning.

Darren provided direct advice and input to the Board. Directors were impressed with his knowledge and ability to identify issues and to recommend effective solutions. His easy going manner meant that he soon established good working relationships with staff, directors and volunteers whilst maintaining the necessary management oversight and control.

Such was our recognition of his role that we sought to extend his contract. I would have no hesitation in recommending Darren’s services to others."

“Darren has worked with us at The Football Association as a consultant on various projects for the past two years. These have included acting as an independent assessor for Club applications for The FA Women's Super League and collating and analysing our salary cap work. Darren is the ultimate professional with exceptional attention to detail skills and has always over delivered on our contracts. He is flexible and able to collaborate internally with our staff and externally with our key partners which has been very valuable. His Emotional Intelligence is also exceptional and he would add value to any company with his coaching or other work.”

“We found Darren to be friendly, approachable, understanding and professional. He gave us the time to answer the questions without any pressure or interruption and asked supplementary questions to help us answer the topic thoroughly. He made everyone feel relaxed during a potentially stressful time, and gave positive feedback and supportive suggestions.”

 “Darren has been assessing for a while and is a competent, trusted assessor.”

“Darren created and delivered two training days bespoke to the needs of the organisation. The sessions were enjoyable and delivered in a professional manner. Both sessions were thoroughly worthwhile and great value for money.”

Whilst I was Deputy CEO at Living Sport, Darren did a piece of work for us around club engagement reviewing club needs, delivering workshops and assessing support needed going forward, culminating in a report to help us assess our priorities. His work was professional, detailed and to a high standard. He built a good rapport with the Living Sport team along with those attending workshops. I would recommend Darren knowing he would be an asset to all types of consultancy and coaching work.  

“Darren provided first class support for the Foundation as we ventured into new territory, engaging and taking staff, trustees and stakeholders by the hand in a professional and supportive way.

From a personal perspective, his natural ability to coach, guide and support leaders was an added bonus that went beyond the initial brief and left a lasting positive legacy in our organisation.”

"Working with Darren Lawrence Consulting has been a pleasure. Darren and the team provided an exceptional service that has resulted in the creation of a research project that we can use to guide our work moving forward.

The final report was well designed and clearly articulated the links back to the original project briefs. What we now have is proven insight that we can rely on to build an Activator programme that meets the needs of our members."

"The brief was met and the timelines were adhered to. This is a huge achievement considering the limitations and turnaround time for most aspects of the project.

Darren takes great care in understanding the brief, remains connected to the client at all times, gets the job done against the odds and is flexible when required."

"Darren's a much appreciated member of our assessment team whose profound knowledge of the sports business enables him to add extra layers of value to the service he provides and, by definition, to the success of our business. He's equipped with a comprehensive range of skills and knowledge that are not only essential to interpersonal relationships but he also has a detailed understanding of the way organisations operate too."