Commercial Director

Darren Thompson

Biography

Darren returned to DVLA in 2023 as Commercial Director.

Education

Darren holds a degree in Economics and an MBA from Swansea University and was last year elected a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.

Career

Darren has a career of delivery within the Public Sector Commercial Profession. He developed and embedded a Procurement Assurance process within the Department for Transport and its agencies in 2013, delivered a number of high profile procurements using the Competitive Dialogue and negotiated procedures, delivering large savings and supporting new, digitised ways of working.

Latterly, Darren has been a member of the Crown Commercial Service’s Senior Team leading the Assisted Procurement Team undertaking procurements on behalf of public sector customers against over 80 commercial agreements to a high level of customer satisfaction. Through the pandemic, Darren’s teams supported the Department for Health and UKHSA, awarding over 300 contracts in the FM, Technology, Logistics, Contact Centre and Consultancy Categories.

Commercial Director

Responsible for providing commercial, procurement and business development leadership at a strategic and operational level, reducing non-staff costs and seeking opportunities to market and develop DVLA services.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Previous roles in government

  • Interim Commercial Director