The manager of Flow’s Cape Town office, Roy Barford, is celebrating his second year as a Flowstar this week and Flowstars have this to say: Here’s to many more, Sugarlumps!
Roy 'Sugarlumps' Barford on top of the world after two years at Flow Communications
“My only regret is the nickname (Sugarlumps) that I picked up after failing to complete a swearword during a game of foosball in Johannesburg.‘Shhhh-ugarlumps…’ is a quote I wish I could retract!” explains Roy.
Roy met Flow’s CEO Tara Turkington at the Durban University of Technology while he was studying journalism.
“Tara started a university website, of which several Flow staff members were a big part,” says Roy. “I was a farm boy who had barely used the internet before, but I quickly realised I really enjoyed the online environment and that it would form a big part of my career.”
After working at Independent Newspapers in Durban, Roy spent some time in Scotland and developed a passion for tourism while working part-time as a hunting guide.
“I kept in touch with Tara as I was very interested in working for Flow Communications at some stage,” recalls Roy. “I was amazed at how quickly the company was growing and I’ve always found Tara an inspirational person. I was working as a sub-editor for The Witness newspaper in Pietermaritzburg when I got the offer to join the Flow team. I started two weeks later.
“The opportunity to live in Cape Town and promote tourism online was an opportunity I was definitely not going to turn down.”
Roy quickly rose in the ranks to become manager of Flow’s Cape Town office, an opportunity he was “delighted” to be given.
“I love the fact that that every morning when I wake up I know I will face challenges I didn’t anticipate - it really keeps me going,” he says.
“I have fantastic colleagues and some awesome clients. Last week we were able to celebrate a successful campaign which helped see Table Mountain named one of the New7Wonders of Nature. That was one of the proudest moments of my career to date.
“My two years at Flow have been both memorable and productive. I’ve come so far in the past two years and am so grateful for the support I’ve received along the way.”
And as for the future?
“I’m looking forward to taking on some new clients and a whole lot of new challenges in 2012,” says Roy. “The beauty of working at Flow is that you never know what to expect, but you always know there is something to look forward to.”