Chasing perfection – how Danny Farrington is making his mark

Dedicated. Motivated. Passionate. For anyone who knows him, Danny Farrington is the very essence of these words in his role at Cox Automotive. 

Part of the Enterprise Sales Team, Danny has worked at Cox for almost eight years and he continues to make his mark daily. 

The audience at this year’s Autos, Cox Automotive’s annual prizegiving ceremony, was regaled with a snapshot of Danny’s achievements which continue to grow. Winner of The Spirit of Cox award, tribute was paid to Danny’s environmental initiatives, his involvement with the company’s Wellbeing Employee Resource Group (ERG) and the wholeheartedly positive impact he makes within the business and to the wider world. 

Born in Tamworth, Staffs, Danny began his working life after studying International Event Management at Brighton University. Initially working in events for different companies, he had a stint at a company that specialised in corporate and private Christmas parties. After some time working at Cancer Research UK, he changed course and landed a short contract at a Manheim Inspection Services (MIS) call centre.  

“I was only meant to be at MIS for two weeks,” Danny says. “I was applying for other roles elsewhere when I was told my contract would be extended. I took the offer as it offered security but was thinking at the time that I might return to event management. And here I am, almost eight years later. 

Danny’s role changed and he was singled out by his then manager, Marcia Scott, as someone who’d be more than capable of establishing an internal training platform for MIS colleagues – effectively making him a training coordinator.  

“It was great to get that help and an early sign of the kind of company I was working for. Someone saw what I was good at and guided me in the right direction. I set up the platform and also the auditing process to ensure it was doing what it was supposed to. It sounds a little nerdy perhaps, but I love documented processes, clear instructions that everyone can understand.” 

His role continued to grow and, as well as training, he took on duties related to compliance, the GDPR rollout in 2018 and the ISO 9001 standard – a framework of processes that ensures consistent quality in the products and services a company delivers.  

Danny had an instrumental role in automating many processes used at MIS, which led to significant efficiency savings. Now, in his role as Sales Enablement Executive for Cox Automotive, he’s an important part of the team that manages tenders and proposals for new contracts and partnerships. 

“Cox Automotive is a big company, so it can be difficult to simply describe what we do. A good way to think of us is that we are an umbrella over a group of companies that ‘look after’ vehicles throughout their lifecycle.  

“The Cox Automotive brands refurbish vehicles, they auction, move and build clever websites for selling cars, among other things. These are services for our customers: fleets, manufacturers and dealers. We have touchpoints in almost every part of that car journey from the factory gate to the recycling plant. That’s not easy to describe, but that’s what we do.” 

So, what does Danny love most about his job? 

“I’ve never worked for a company that does so much for its people. The events, espresso coffee chats, the ERGs, the awesome benefits, campaigns and also the work of our European Culture and Engagement Team, to name a few things. We apparently spend a third of our lives at work and Cox provides so many things, so many opportunities to get involved and make a change. 

“Every day’s a learning day,” he said. “My job is incredibly varied. I speak to so many different people from around the business from operations, product, technology and compliance to name a few. Plus, I get to use my creativity.  

“My colleagues are all amazing, everyone just clicks and gets on so well with each other.  

“My friends are often surprised by how many things I can get involved with in addition to my ‘day job’. I don’t think they have the same opportunities where they work. 

Adding to Danny’s lengthy list of achievements at Cox Automotive, he’s spearheading a new Neurodiversity Employee Resource Group (ERG), designed to raise awareness of associated conditions. With a lived experience of autism and ADHD, it’s a matter very close to his heart.  

He said: “It’s about improving the way the business works with and for neurodivergent team members – whether that is preferred communication methods, management styles, workload planning and organisation, new interview methods and techniques, creating safe talking spaces, improving our training courses, booking in calm time to alleviate social fatigue, or educating our neurotypical team members.” 

Outside of work, Danny is a keen paddleboarder and enjoys nothing more than going for a short camping/walking trip in Wales. He’s also a whizz in the kitchen and is currently trying his hand at Japanese and Korean cuisine.  

His boundless enthusiasm for his role and getting involved demonstrate precisely how he is making his mark. 

"There are lots of opportunities at Cox, outside of the job description, to make your mark”, Danny said. “I’ve seen people make an impact first-hand, whether on a litter pick as one of our Zero Waste Warriors or sharing their experiences for Neurodiversity ERG articles. Team members have organised parenting workshops to help new-parent colleagues, they do foodie events to spotlight cultural diversity. It’s an awesome company and a sincere pleasure to wake up each day, looking forward to the working day.