TEES TECH AWARDS 2024
JANICE WEBSTER UNSUNG HERO AWARD
FINALIST
BRADLEY JOHNSON ( YELLOW BOX )
All smiles – Tees Tech Awards co-founder David Dixon presented the Janice Webster Unsung Hero award to Darren Cuthbert of Behaviour Interactive UK .
WINNER
DARREN CUTHBERT
( BEHAVIOUR INTERACTIVE UK )
“ I just like to sit in the background , programming away !” So says unsung – and reluctant – hero Darren Cuthbert , whose role as technical director at Behaviour Interactive UK sees him work on some of the world ’ s biggest games .
He prefers to stay in the background – but for one night only , he was thrust into the spotlight after being named the Janice Webster Unsung Hero at the Tees Tech Awards 2024 .
It was quite the night for Behaviour , which also picked up the Company of the Year title .
And , fittingly , it meant both Darren and Behaviour boss Bob Makin got their hands on trophies , having started out together in 2013 as SockMonkey Studios , which was acquired by Canadian games giant Behaviour Interactive last year .
A somewhat sheepish Darren smiled : “ There ’ s a reason I like to stay in the background and that ’ s because I don ’ t like the spotlight !
“ For the past 11 years , we ’ ve worked really hard to get where we were . We started off as two people , then we went to 15 , then we got acquired . It ’ s been a long and interesting journey . But I really don ’ t know why I ’ ve got this .
“ It ’ s been a rollercoaster . When we first started talking about getting acquired , it was a bit of a shock that a big international company wanted to come and invest in us on Teesside . I was born in Middlesbrough , went to Teesside University , we were this small company . And I ’ m a programmer – I like to sit in the back , just programming away .” And Darren admits his role has changed since Behaviour Interactive moved in . He said : “ Before I wore many hats – I was an IT person and all that type of stuff . Just having employees look to you , it was different . Now it ’ s less stress , I suppose – less focus on doing all sorts of things .
“ By the time SockMonkey was 50 people , it could be quite stressful , having 50 mortgages to pay every month . Now I ’ m back to just concentrating on project work and that stress has gone . It ’ s weird having a boss as well .
“ But it ’ s been great with Behaviour . One of the main reasons we sold was because we have 50 staff and there was only so far we could take them with the budgets and stuff we had . We now have over 1,000 other people to talk to , to get advice from – it ’ s really brought on a lot of the SockMonkey staff themselves , so it ’ s been a good thing for us .”
MD Brad is a dedicated leader in the digital marketing sector . Since founding the company in 2011 , he has led it to remarkable success , expanding services and staff while fostering a client-centric approach .
Brad ’ s achievements include a 51 per cent revenue increase in 2023 and notable collaborations with prestigious entities such as the Spanish Business Council in Dubai . Beyond business , Brad serves as a trustee for the Teesside Family Foundation , showcasing his commitment to community welfare .
Despite his significant contributions , however , Brad remains humble and unassuming , prioritising integrity and ethical business practices . His quiet dedication and impactful work make him a true unsung hero in the Tees Tech community .
FINALIST
ROBERT JOHNSTON ( FITFACTORY TECHNOLOGY )
Chief technology officer Robert has made significant strides in technology development within the manufacturing sector , primarily focusing on sustainability and efficiency .
His career journey began in the army , but an interest in technology nudged him in a different direction . Since then , his work with Fitfactory , where he ’ s developed technology that assists more than 400 UK manufacturing companies , has driven the firm ’ s growth and facilitated a major private equity investment .
But despite his key role in these achievements , he remains a humble figure , focusing on innovation and the future rather than seeking recognition . His dedication to improving industry practices while maintaining a low profile makes him an ideal candidate for the Unsung Hero award .
WINNERS ’ ROLL CALL : 2021 : Darren Falcus ( SockMonkey Studios ) 2022 : Kevin Mann ( Double Eleven ) 2023 : Janice Webster ( DigitalCity )