Employee spotlight:
David Barnett
David Barnett, LoopMe’s Head of Creative Operations based in London, talks about working under pressure, the value of compassion, and his hobbies.
What project or event has been your favourite at LoopMe?
I joined in the midst of Q4 madness (Halloween to be precise, best day of the year), so whilst I wanted to inject some innovation and creativity into my new role, I understood that it was more of a ‘get my hands dirty & help steer the ship’ situation. My first project was a pinball/gamification unit for McDonalds, one of two brands left on my bucket list that I hadn’t ever worked for. It was memorable as we had only 2-3 days to build it, but as per our SLA’s, it had a 15 day turnaround time given its bespoke nature. So cracking on and getting it done in time AND watching it perform very well was satisfying.
Can you discuss a skill you’ve acquired or developed while working at LoopMe?
I’ve developed a much deeper sense of empathy since joining LoopMe. Watching my Ukrainian colleagues show incredible strength and positivity despite the ongoing conflict has been profoundly moving. It’s changed how I see challenges, both at work and personally, and reminded me how powerful compassion, understanding, and human connection can be. A little love goes a long way.
Do you have any WFH routines or rituals?
I have more of an office ritual than a WFH one. I do my best not to sit at my desk (nothing personal against my team, you’re all incredible people). You’ll often find me in one of the sofa clumps dotted around, hot-desking with sales or, on rare occasions, sitting in the kitchen. However, that last spot can be difficult to get work done with the sheer volume of coffee the people in this office drink; everyone loves to chat whilst the kettle is brewing.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m half Australian, half British living in London, and I have 2 Scottish terriers, Galahad and Uther, who are not as well behaved as everyone in the office thinks they are. I can speak/read Swedish at the level of your average toddler, according to my Scandinavian friends, and I would say that the thing I hold the most pride in is my ability to tell great stories; don’t get me near a campfire or you won’t be able to shut me up. A fun fact about me – I’ve been bitten by the world’s most venomous spider, on my first day of uni, no less!
Do you have any hobbies?
I’m a bit of a secret nerd, having interests ranging from card/board/tabletop games through to all things space-related. I also love discovering other people’s weird hobbies/quirks and having them tell me all about it; other people’s passions really bring something out in me. On top of that, I’m a huge fan of live music, but have recently discovered I’m getting old after breaking several ribs in an incident involving crowd surfing and a swirling mosh pit.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?
It breaks my heart not to say Australia here, because it truly is the most beautiful country on the planet, but if we put that aside, I’d say Iceland. Having gone there a few years back, I experienced what can only be described as walking through real-life Game of Thrones. The sweeping tundras, the active volcanoes, the northern lights (that I accidentally slept through after a pizza-induced nap). If you can survive -25°C/-13°F and endless nights for a large portion of the year, I couldn’t recommend it any higher.
Want to find out more about LoopMe’s creative capabilities? Visit our Creative Studio page.