Dave Holloway

Year of Graduation: 2002

  • Course BA Graphic Communications
  • Nationality British
  • Career industry Marketing
  • Current job title Author & Founder / Chief Brand Architect
  • Current Company Wonder Leads / Leeds

My time at the University of Wolverhampton taught me the importance of hard work, friendship, resilience, and most importantly; it gave me confidence in the value I could bring to society.

My favourite memories of my course at Wolverhampton were the support from the lecturers. In particular, our subject leader, Jeff Leak was fantastic. He was highly approachable and had a calm authority that I'll always remember. We have connected on LinkedIn shortly after I graduated and still exchange regular messages. The facilities available to us were always first class. The computer suite was always there if we needed it, and we had access to a big library of inspirational material. I made many friends (especially through my role as University Football Captain) and we remain in touch to this day. My favourite memory was confirmation that I had achieved my First! That was a brilliant day!
The course gave me the core design skills that are critical to achieving success in a design job. Typography, critical thinking and the ability to give and receive objective feedback have been an integral part of my job since leaving University, and they were all instilled in me throughout my time at Wolverhampton. Achieving a First Class degree has certainly opened doors and has always provided validation, not only of vocational skill, but the ability to apply myself. Those are important traits that any employer seeks out and will always stand you in good stead.
5 years after leaving University I was found myself at the helm of my own creative agency, and I've been doing that ever since. As such, my responsibilities are far reaching. I am involved with everything that running a business entails; from sales and operations, to marketing and HR. My primary purpose is driving the direction of the business, seeking out new opportunities and sharing our core message with the world.
I have two career highlights. The first was receiving a commendation for a website we created at the DADI awards organised by The Drum. That was a pretty special moment as it was the first (and only) time we entered an award and we were up against some of the biggest names in the industry. The second and most recent was the publication of my book Wonder Leads, which has become an Amazon #1 bestseller and recently awarded a silver medal at the Axiom Business Book Awards. Former winners include the likes of Dan Ariely (Nobel prize winner) and Ryan Holiday (author of multiple NYT best-sellers), so being recognised amongst those people was pretty special.
Engage. Make the most of all the facilities while you have them and take advantage of every opportunity you can. Go for the placements. Seek out feedback from peers and tutors. Learn as much as you can while you have access to such incredible resources. Nothing will get you further in life than knowledge. Enjoy your time at University, but make sure you don't waste it.