Darren Woolford: Delivering dynamic change and making an impact

I am currently the Head of Client Service Operations in North America for Northern Trust.

My team at Northern Trust is responsible for the senior level operational oversight across Fund Accounting, Transfer Agency and Custody in the Global Fund Services area for a few “key” clients. Northern Trust seemed like a great place to utilize my past experiences to improve client experiences with a focus on Operations which I am passionate about.

When I joined Northern Trust to build a client services team, I brought along more than just 25+ years of experience across the industry; I brought a fresh perspective that began when I interned at Kidder Peabody & Co. in college.

In the course of my career, I’ve seen first-hand the importance of different perspectives and learned how reinforcing an open and honest culture can make an impact. Now, I try to use my expertise to help my team and my community.

Building on my experiences

For me, the key in my career has been to look at how I can build in my prior experiences when I move to a new role or a new organization. For example, this current role at Northern Trust gave me the opportunity to get back into operations and incorporate everything I had learned to add value to the firm.

At Northern Trust, there's a great deal of institutional knowledge pulled from our 130+ year history. There's also an openness to bringing in outside perspectives to continue to move us forward. That's what I like to see, a firm that has built and developed a lot of institutional knowledge and a great culture, and that is willing to look at things in a different way.

You need that balance to move forward.

Delivering Change

I’ve learned that just going in and telling people what’s wrong won’t get you far. People know what's wrong but different factors have prevented change. 

When your sole job is to identify and implement change, you must get the buy in, take the project to completion, and deliver the change. The big thing is the delivery. When you provide a solution and actually implement it, then people see the value in change. 

That’s what my team has been able to do, leading to good things for our clients.

Levels of Understanding

Some people spend their career in one segment of the industry and become subject matter experts. I like to learn different things, see different areas, and become more dynamic. Firms need both to be successful.

I can appreciate everybody's role when dealing with an issue or evaluating a new opportunity because I’ve been in their place. I understand what their priorities might be. I also understand what their challenges might be. 

Culture Shifts

If you expect people to communicate openly and honestly, you have to lead by example and demonstrate it. You must also make sure managers do the same and encourage their teams to feel comfortable speaking opening and sharing their thoughts and opinions

Cultural changes do not take place overnight. It constantly needs to be reinforced and everyone held accountable. That’s how you get to a place where people really embrace and value that culture.

A Better Place Made

I used to be a member of Big Brothers Big Sisters, then I became a foster parent; through that, I adopted my youngest child. Now I'm the president of a board called CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for children who are in foster care. I hope to use my 2 volunteer days that Northern Trust gives its employees to support CASA this year. I appreciate the opportunity to be able to give back to a cause that is very close to my heart.

I'm big on making sure that children who may not have the same advantages get opportunities to see the world and a better place made, whether that's inside their current home with their birth parents, or outside of their home with an adoptive or foster parent. If they don't see how big the world is, they don’t know where they can go. 

You can't dictate or foresee where everyone goes in life. But you can try to provide a good foundation for individuals to be great members of our society, so they too can give something back.

My Fast Facts

Time at Northern Trust: 16 months

Hometown: Glen Ridge, NJ

Favorite Sports Team: KC Chiefs 

Favorite food: Chinese 

What are you reading/watching/listening to: The Practicing Mind by Thomas M. Sterner

Darren Wolford is a Senior Vice President in Northern Trust's Asset Servicing business and is a “hybrid” employee working remotely and outside of the Jersey City NJ office as his hub.

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