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Executive Profile: Doug Hecht

Doug Hecht

RESUME

Name: Doug Hecht.

Company: Digitaria.

Title(s): President and COO.

No. of employees: 148.

Year founded: 1997.

Education: UC San Diego.

Birthplace: Burbank.

Age: 43.

Current residence: San Diego (Santaluz).

Family:Wife, Wendy; daughters, Sydney, Jadyn and Reagan.

Doug Hecht is president and chief operating officer of Digitaria, OMMA Magazine’s 2011 Design/Interactive Agency of the Year. Digitaria is a marketing firm, with offices in San Diego, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Salt Lake City. Hecht was originally a principal at Console, a technology company that merged with Digitaria in 2006 to create a full-service digital agency. Hecht oversees Digitaria’s daily internal operations and finances.

BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY

Essential business philosophy: Hire well, and don’t micromanage.

Best way to keep a competitive edge: Hire the best and promote a creative environment.

Guiding principles: Logic, collaboration, accountability, quality (in no particular order).

Yardsticks of success: Happy clients, happy employees and profitable growth.

Goals yet to be achieved: Continued international expansion.

JUDGMENT CALLS

Best business decision: Merging Digitaria and Console in 2006, when the former was a boutique digital design shop and the latter a small tech company. We were suddenly able to do it all under one roof and the business took off.

Worst business decision: In previous businesses, not starting with enough funding.

Toughest business decision: Selling to WPP in 2010, though it ultimately proved to be a great idea.

Biggest missed opportunity: Forgoing branching out into a software business, in favor of selling to WPP. We’ll never know where that might have gone.

Mentor: My father. He had a tireless work ethic. He cared about his employees, and he was a man of his word.

Word that describes you: Fair.

TRUE CONFESSIONS

What you like best about your job: I work with amazing companies and really talented people in an industry that creates experiences to change the way people interact with the world.

What you like least about your job: When egos get in the way of solutions and progress.

Pet peeves: When people present problems without attempting to find solutions first.

Most important lesson learned: Everything in moderation.

Person most interested in meeting: Magic Johnson. He’s been enormously successful in almost everything he does — sports, entertainment, business, philanthropy and battling pre-conceived ideas. And of course he is an all-time Lakers great.

Three greatest passions: My family and friends, work, music.

First choice for a new career: Musician or pilot.

PREDILECTIONS

Favorite quote: “Never mistake activity for achievement.” — John Wooden.

Most influential book: “Be My Guest,” the Conrad Hilton autobiography.

Favorite restaurant: Samurai Japanese Restaurant, Solana Beach

Favorite place for business meetings: Fifteenth floor of Diamond View Tower

Favorite vacation spot: Vail, Colo.

Favorite way to spend time: Hanging out with my wife and daughters.

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