User:MartinDower

Martin Paul Dower
Born near Hull, in East Yorkshire, U.K. on 18th August, 1965. Now lives in Halifax, West Yorkshire with his second wife Stella Moniqueca (married 2008).

Moved to London in 1985 to work in software development and subsequently sales and marketing, predominantly in the banking and finance sector. Less than a decade, two children (Richard and Elizabeth) and a divorce later, relocated to West Yorkshire working for an Anerican software security company.

Co-founded Connected, one of the UK’s first digital agencies in 1996, having joined the Internet revolution in the early 90's using early service providers including Compuserve. Adopter of email in 1993 after working in the US for Cabletron Systems as a Regional Sales Director.

Together with Jerry Pank, founded Connected in December 1996 with £5,000, survived the dot com bubble crash at the start of the 21st Century and went on to create a model for behavioural targeting and visitor management on the web. A leading advocate for UGC and the end of conventional brand understanding online.

Since 2010 has become an ever-more vocal advocate for Open Source Digital, Open Rights Privacy, and is a Founding Member of The European WordPress Agency Council (2015 to date).

Believer in location-independent working and based from home since the mid-90s, a passionate driver of non-conventional working practices including a shorter working week, no office required, beyond carbon neutral, zero meetings, always-on work, and universal basic income. A confirmed libertarian with no political allegiance and an atheist science bent.

Also serves as Founder and Chair of The Fountainhead Residents Association since 2017 and co-founded the Whittakers Bar Association in 2020.

Motor Racing
A life-long passion for anything powered by petrol culminated in 2004 when he became a race-car driver. He won his very first race, in a BMW 320i Touring Car at Brand Hatch in the SEMSEC series. From there he went onto compete in the Uniroyal VW Endurance series and Kumho BMW Championship in 2005 (finishing 5th overall), the Production BMW Championship in 2006 (3rd overall), 2007 and 2008.

2007 saw Martin's first entry into the world of 24hr Endurance racing, competing in the Britcar 24hr race at Silverstone in a modified Lotus Exige finishing 7th in Production class S1. 2008 saw a return to the 24hr event, this time in a modified Vauxhall VX220 run by Thorney Motorsports in class 3.

Book-ending his racing career, he won his very last race in the Project 8 Racing Series, designed for Pre-1993 Production Touring Cars, at Rockingham Raceway in 2008.

Over his short racing career he's placed first at Lydden Hill (3 times), Pembrey (3), Brands Hatch (2), Mallory Park (1), Thruxton (1), Rockingham (1), Snetteron (1), and Silverstone (1) and been on the podium additionally at Oulton Park, Croft, Donington.

Links Corporate | Linked In Profile | Twitter Roll