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.