Yorkshire-born digital marketing bloke with 40 years in the tech space. Confirmed petrolhead and ex-race car driver. Fairly unapproachable.
“If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough”.
I started in the digital world in 1982, playing with an Apple ][ computer at home after school. From there I worked in the computer industry in the UK and US after starting life as a coder.
Ended my first career as a deputy-assistant-vice-acting-president of sales at 30 (aka: bouncing off glass ceilings) so left and founded Connected in 1996 with an old friend and £5k. I can’t see a time when I stop learning or working.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn, twitter @martindower, and by email at martind@connected-uk.com.
I never accept cold calls but do encourage email approaches. The best contact strategy is to write a short, blunt and personalised email and I promise I will respond. Please don’t spam me.
Where can you find me
My time is split between London and Yorkshire and I work 100% location independent so if you want to meet up then a cafe or a bar is a great place to suggest. I’m a late person so function poorly before 11am and come alive in evenings.
I like trains and, despite being a petrolhead, hate functional driving or commuting so proximity to train or tube stations is ideal.
What do I do
I help companies achieve their digital aims and bring with me over 20 years of web and four decades of sales and marketing experience.
I’m a bit of a WordPress geek, and as an ex-coder I can appreciate its beauty. The rest of my time is taken up running the digital agency I co-founded in 1996.
When I’m not working
Petrol runs hot through my veins, and with that comes a love of cars and bikes. I’ve owned a pretty wide variety over the years, from Alfa Romeo through Aston, the odd Porsche, BMW, Lotus and a six-litre Mercedes.
My love of petrol clashes with my drive to be energy efficient and carbon neutral. So, in 2015 I went ‘leccy hybrid (I’ve still got my motorbikes, it’s my modern-day version of the horse).
In the past I’ve been lucky enough to have done a bit of motor racing; BMW Production Car Championship and Pre-93 Touring Cars, and I’m also a two-time finisher at the 24hrs Britcar Silverstone event plus some other smaller events and endurance series. Despite this, I’m a fair-weather biker first, and currently run a Ducati Panigale and a CCM Flatracker for Sunday (or midweek) ride-outs.
And the pub, I’m pretty social and enjoy a beer in moderation and a natter.
