Who are you? (biography/background)
I am CEO of Zoocha, a specialist Drupal agency I co-founded in 2009, where I have built a team of digital experts and developers, delivering Drupal projects for clients like United Nations, Oxfam International and University College London. However, in terms of professional background, I am decidedly “non techie”, having built my career in commercial, customer experience and marketing disciplines.
I have been involved in the Drupal community for more than a decade, regularly speaking at Drupal events around the World including DrupalCons, DrupalCamps and Acquia Engage. I will be speaking at DrupalCon Barcelona in September, where I am also a track team lead for the Agency & Business track.
Though I am an active member of the Drupal community, as someone who is not a developer, it has taken me some time to find the areas where my contribution can add the most value. Examples include leading the Drupal Swag Shop Working Group and most recently joining the Starshot marketing team.
I live in Cambridge, UK with my wife, Anabel and our dog, Daisy. In my spare time, I play tennis and bridge.
https://www.drupal.org/u/zoocha-will
Why are you running for a board seat at the Drupal Association? (mission/motivation)
I believe Drupal is in the early phase of a significant transformation as a platform and as a brand. Success will elevate Drupal as THE open source alternative to commercial web solutions from Wix to Adobe, competing toe to toe and coming out on top.
However, I don’t believe this can be easily achieved and will require us to think differently and in some respects, act differently. Competing against corporate marketing budgets and enterprise partner programmes will challenge us to adapt, innovate and embrace change.
This is my motivation for running in this election. I look forward to being part of this change in whatever capacity I can add the most value to the community. If elected, I will aspire to be a champion for innovation and change that will enable Drupal to reach ‘the next level’!
Why should members vote for you? (qualifications)
Strategic thinking, decision making and leadership are qualities that I would bring to the DA board, but actually, the answer to “why should members vote for me” is encapsulated in my motivation to run for election to the board. I will be an advocate for change that whilst difficult, will be necessary to achieve what we are capable of. I will approach this with sensitivity, empathy and through collaboration with all parts of the community, but always asking “what must happen for our vision to become a reality”.
