?? Meet Darren

?? Tell us about your career at Mark’s.

Eleven years have gone by in a flash. Fresh out of college, I returned to my local Mark's in Brampton, Ontario as a Part-Time Sales Associate in May 2013. Having worked there the previous summer I had a bit of an idea as to what was coming but didn’t truly understand what retail was all about. Over the next couple of years, I developed my skills, focusing on operational effectiveness and customer service as I climbed the ranks within the store, eventually becoming the Department Sales Manager.

When the opportunity to move to a larger store presented itself, I jumped at it. It was a chance to get out of my comfort zone and see what else Mark’s has to offer. This has become a trend for me as I’ve now worked at six different locations around the GTA.

In that time, I’ve been lucky enough to get training from some of our industry’s finest minds through Mark's uLead and the Leadership Acceleration Program (LAP), while participating in numerous initiatives designed to connect with our community and push our brand purpose.

For the past two years I’ve been the Store General Manager at our Toronto Stockyards location, where I’ve learned what it’s like to manage a store in Canada’s largest city.

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??Tell us about how you contribute to making life in Canada better.

There’s nothing like the feeling you get when you outfit someone for their first Canadian winter or provide a teenager with the gear they need for their first job.

What we do may seem simple at times, but it’s extremely important. We ensure all our customers are ready for whatever our unpredictable weather throws at them. Canadians rely on us to give them the correct advice and my team and I thrive on doing just that.

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??What is it about Mark’s that excites you to come to work each day?

I’m motivated by the people I work with every day. Succession planning is one of the most important parts of my role with Mark’s.

I want to see everyone around me succeed and I always put my best foot forward to make that happen. I’ve had so much help from great leaders throughout my time with Mark’s; the least I can do is pay it forward.

It’s imperative for the future of our company to find the next batch of strong leaders, and I do whatever I can to help put us in the best position possible. ?

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??What do you love about working at Mark’s?

Having been a Store General Manager with Mark’s for nearly seven years now, I’ve learned to be a human-focused leader. Our customers are people, as are our teams and our leaders. If we can’t create a culture of mutual respect with those around us, we will only move backwards. People are our biggest asset and the reason our enterprise exists, and we need to appreciate what we have in them to succeed. My role has taught me to apply this thinking in all facets of life. ?

Learn more about a career at Mark's by visiting our careers website today.

#MakingLifeinCanadaBetter #AllThingsSimple