Sure Competition Both On and Off the Course
4 April 2007
Sure is set to ‘swing’ into action this summer with the launch
of its new mobile service. Two of the Sure team members playing a
key part in this build up are Darren Howland, Business &
Channel’s Sales Manager and Julie Heselton, Marketing Executive.
Both Darren and Julie are Manx born and raised and are looking
forward to the competition a new mobile service will bring to the
Island.
Darren joins Sure having gained a wide range of experience
working in the UK where he held Senior Sales positions with Nortel
Networks, Damovo-Ericsson & Dimension Data. Darren said: ‘I am
confidant that my past experience can help my new colleagues by
broadening the depth of knowledge across the Sure team ’
Darren spent a lot of time travelling and working with a variety
of clients including BT, 02, Boots, Bureau Veritas, AEA Technology
& Manchester United. Darren said: ‘After 10 years of driving
thousands of motorway miles in the UK & spending time away from
home, I decided it was time to move back to the Island to be able
to spend more quality time with my family & allow them to enjoy
some of the freedom’s that I enjoyed growing up here’.
Commenting on his recent move to Cable & Wireless, Darren
said: ‘It is an exciting opportunity to be involved in this new
venture from the start. It is not everyday you get the chance to
work on a new business venture in the telecommunications industry
backed by the power of a global FTSE 100 company specialising in
Island economies’. This is a view shared by Julie who added: ‘Sure
is a fresh and exciting brand that will provide genuine choice to
everyone on the Island and I am glad to play an integral part in
the build up to launch. The opportunity to develop the brand in all
areas of telecommunications will keep me very busy and I am looking
forward to the challenge’.
Away from the world of telecommunications Darren enjoys family
life with his wife Debra and two sons, Lewis and Daniel aged 13 and
11. They have both taken up their father’s keen interest in Golf
who plays regularly at Castletown Golf Links. Darren who has a
handicap of 12 said: ‘Golf is a great sport, as it is the most
enjoyable way to combine Business with pleasure and a tremendous
way to enjoy the beautiful Manx scenery’.
Julie is no stranger to travel either as she spent four years in
America competing on the College Golf circuit whilst completing her
degree in marketing and promotions at Northern Arizona University.
‘This was a great experience as I developed my skills as a team
player working with people from all over the world and will be able
to apply these to my role with Sure’. On returning to the Island
Julie joined local firm Armstrong Associates as a Marketing
Consultant.
When talking about life on the Island Julie said: ‘Sure will
become a key partner with local organisations supporting both
sports and music on the Island’. They have already started to prove
this with the recent announcement to sponsor the Ronan Keating and
McFly night at the Peel Bay Festival. Julie added: ‘We have several
additional Sure high profile sponsorships due to be announced over
the coming weeks’.
Golf has also played a key part in Julie’s life. Playing off a
handicap of 5 she has won the Island Ladies Championship 5 times
and represented both the England Junior team and Island Ladies.
Julie said: ‘Although I have become more of a social golfer since
returning to the Island I still love the challenge of taking on the
men at corporate golf days!’
Competition looks set to spark up between Darren and Julie on
the Golf Course but for now their attention is firmly focused on
working closely as a team over the next couple of months to
successfully launch the Sure brand into the Isle of Man.