NEWS: Jon Darby made Fellow of APMP
Our Founder and MD has been recognised as a Fellow by the professional body for bidding (APMP) and we’re incredibly proud. We’re also grateful for the contributions he made to the profession that are the reason for the award.
News update
Fellow is a designation given to a tiny number of people across the globe each year, in recognition for what they have done for the profession.
Jon’s contributions are exceptional and deserving of recognition. Over his career he has been an innovator and early adopter of new practices, demonstrating his commitment to staying at the forefront of his profession, and more importantly sharing those practices with anyone who can benefit from them.
Contributions to the profession
Jon has demonstrated excellence in delivery for employers throughout his career, innovation for the consulting business he founded, and coaching and mentoring for his peers.
As an employee and Head of Function across leading multinationals and a SME consultancy, Jon consistently delivered bidding success. As examples, he has secured a multi-billion government defence deals leading a teams of 75; created a Proposal Centre for a leading IT services company; and consistently closed significant and challenging deals as Bid Director, demonstrating his knowledge of market trends, customer needs, and competitive intelligence.
Jon also founded BidCraft in 2017, which has since been recognised for introducing innovative bidding techniques, such as pre-mortems, that won the UK Innovation Award in 2020. BidCraft also rapidly created an e-learning platform that helped people secure certification and other training through the pandemic, widening choices for learners where the focus has always been on the traditional classroom cramming sessions.
Jon saw the gap in the market for the first standard for bid and proposal management (PAS 360). He worked with British Standards Institution to test the idea, and then pitched to APMP for the funding to make it happen. He also volunteered Gareth’s time and expertise to author the standard, lowering the investment needed from APMP (which is funded by its members) because he knew this initiative will have a lasting impact on the profession.
He’s always been dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise with others, working to help people develop the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in bidding and further advance the field. He frequently speaks at conferences and events, and has contributed to the publications relevant to the profession.
Leadership
Finally, Jon’s leadership of the profession has been exemplary, serving on the UK chapter board for the maximum seven years (including as the CEO/Chair), and on the board of directors for two more as Chair of the Board.
His time leading the UK in recent years saw him driving a programme of transparency and improved governance. By improving transparency, his peers can have better visibility into how decisions are made in their professional body and how their contributions are being used. The increased rigour in controls and decision-making and checks and balances in governance (including the introduction of independent NEDs to the board) are a legacy that will guard against bad actors and uphold the ethical standards of APMP for future years. Ethics in bidding are critical to the trust of customers and clients.
Jon’s contributions have helped advance the profession and have set a high standard for others to follow.