Alumnus reflects on how Leeds Trinity paved the way for successful global career

The University’s career-led learning has paved the way for inspiring graduate journeys throughout those six decades. And the career of alumnus Darain Faraz highlights how the opportunities and experiences available to students can lay the foundations for long-term success.

Darain graduated from Trinity and All Saints College (TASC) – as Leeds Trinity was formerly known – with a degree in Media and Psychology in 2001. Since then, he has built a successful career in marketing and communications and worked with some internationally recognised brands.

He was Head of Communications for MySpace (Australia/New Zealand) during its cultural peak in the mid 2000s, played a pivotal role in building the Earth Hour movement developed by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and served as International Brand Marketing Director as part of an 11-year tenure at LinkedIn. Alongside his brother, Darain also co-founded People Like Us, a not-for-profit organisation driving workplace equity across the UK.

His career has taken him to Australia, New Zealand, Doha, back to the UK and now Fiji, but Darain believes he was set on the road to success during his time in Horsforth.

Leeds Trinity pioneered the introduction of professional work placements in every degree in the 1970s, an approach to career-led learning that is still used across all its programmes today to equip and prepare students for the workplace.

"Those years were genuinely formative for me, not just academically, but personally and professionally too," he said. "My course struck a great balance between practical and theoretical. Some highlights include creating a group documentary and securing a workplace placement with the sports and entertainment team at Channel 4. Both experiences gave me real-world skills and confidence I carried into every role since."

Having benefited greatly from his own experiences, Darain offered students the following advice on making the most of opportunities at university: “Say yes to as much as you can. The opportunities that shaped me most weren't always the obvious ones, but those experiences taught me so much about leadership and storytelling. University gives you a safe space to try things and figure out what you're good at, so make the most of it.”

That philosophy shaped Darain’s own time at TASC. "Alongside my studies, I was a hall warden for two years, president of the drama society, and president of TASC's first LGBT society," he said. "Looking back, those roles were my first real lessons in leadership, community-building, persuasion and storytelling – skills that have underpinned my entire career.”

And for Darain, one experience stands out. He explained: "While at university, I also launched a club night called 'Gaze' at Break for the Border, which was a popular bar and nightclub in Leeds at the time. What started as a creative and social outlet quickly became my first foray into PR – promoting events, engaging audiences, shaping narratives, and building communities. It sparked a career path that I could not have fully imagined at the time but took me from Horsforth lecture theatres to global campaigns, boardrooms, and community stages."

Reflecting on his successful globe-trotting career since he enjoyed his own graduation, Darain said: “It has been an extraordinary journey, and one that I trace directly back to the grounding I received at TASC. The confidence to question, create, lead and connect came from those years. I owe a great deal to TASC for helping me find my voice and my direction, and I’m incredibly grateful for that foundation.”