Louis Downs, Class of 2005

Louis left Trinity to study advertising and brand management at the University for the Creative Arts. His career has seen him specialise in product development, brand communication, web design and development, online strategy, branding, advertising, book publishing and marketing strategy. He also spent 14 years as both a board member and as Chair for Young Enterprise Croydon, a charity that motivates young people to succeed in the changing world of work by equipping them with the work skills, knowledge and confidence they need.

He is now a Director at CMA Creative Solutions Ltd. We caught up with Louis to find out about life since Trinity.

We’re celebrating 30 years of the Shaw building which houses the art and DT departments. How did the facilities there contribute to your creative and practical skills development during your time at Trinity?

The Art and Design Technology departments were fantastic spaces. The access to resources and materials, the expertise of the staff, and the enthusiasm of the school as a whole towards the development of these creative skills encouraged me to embrace the various creative and design subjects that were taught to such a high level at Trinity. I still use many of the practical design and making skills I learned when manufacturing scale models and miniatures.

Which Trinity teachers shaped your interests and career aspirations and how did they inspire you?

I have fond memories of so many strong positive characters, especially Miss Rogers, Mr Glyn, everyone in the Art and Photography department, Mr Chesney and the DT department. Mr Case, my tutor, was hugely patient and supportive. There were also many experienced maths, RS, English and sports department staff who championed students. The business and economics teachers involved with Young Enterprise also played a significant role in directing my interest.

Which experiences did you have at Trinity that shaped your outlook on life?

Trinity offered me a huge breadth of unrestricted learning opportunities – you didn’t have to study history to get involved with the Model United Nations, or choose business A level to take part in Young Enterprise, or be a physics student to visit CERN. I did all three. I also took a hiking and canoeing trip to Yukon and Alaska, which was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

What did you find most rewarding about your 10 years on the board of Young Enterprise Croydon?

I met some amazing people who care very much about helping the next generation develop viable business ideas. The whole board were volunteers, and there were many healthy debates about keeping the business experiences as genuine as possible. The weekly meetings were held at different Croydon company premises – BT, Nestle, HSBC, the Home Office, Jury’s Inn, Matthew’s Yard and the Croydon Conference Centre – providing the unique experience of learning about business in a business environment.

The Young Enterprise In-Business Company Programme aims to provide young people with real-life business experiences. How did you witness its impact on participants?

I have watched many young people grow and flourish while taking part in Young Enterprise. Whether they start out shy and disengaged or loud and overconfident, they all become thoughtful and empathetic team builders. Learning how to manage costs, identify opportunities and develop a product into something they can sell are really useful life skills.

As the Director of CMA Creative Solutions Limited, you’re an expert in negotiation, sales and project planning. Which strategies have you found to be particularly effective to achieve this?

Much of the success behind any negotiation and sales strategy comes down to really getting to know and understand markets and people. I also really need to believe in the inherent worth of the thing I am selling. It is important to make people feel valued to get the best out of them - it is important to be appreciative of their efforts. Our expectations should be clear and we should be flexible to people’s needs and circumstances.

How has the marketing landscape evolved since your time at Trinity, and how have you adapted?

The past 20 years have witnessed many changes, particularly around the fluctuating influence of social media, that have been fascinating to watch, if a little infuriating to manage from a business point of view. The key to marketing is to identify your audience and then work out how best to engage with them. There will always be lifestyle and tech developments and you have to constantly be creative and intuitive. Word of mouth and reliable recommendation are critical and highly valuable marketing tools. Both the offering and the provider must have credibility. It isn’t always about being a runaway success, it is about people genuinely finding something good or great and spreading the word without pressure or reward. I take great pride in watching companies grow off the back of the work we do for them.

If you could go back in time, what advice or guidance would you give your 18-year-old self?

I think some of the guidance would have been a few years previous to that, at the stage when I was choosing my A levels. It is hard to choose subjects when you don’t yet know what you want to do with your life. A Level choice does influence university and career choice, and many of the onward opportunities. I would also advise 18-year-old me to work for other people for longer before going it alone. I had business mentors when I was growing up and for a number of years once I was working, but having a greater depth of actual experience working with really great business or marketing people would have been immensely beneficial. You learn a lot from other people, but the key is to embed the good, discard the bad and discern the difference. As time progresses, things change and every situation is different, but experiences build into layers of reference that give one the ability to manage whatever your professional life throws at you.