Darl has directed and facilitated Icehouse growth programmes since 2007. He is one of the co-authors of the popular books, Changing Gears: How to Take Your Kiwi Business from the Kitchen Table to the Board Room and Gearing Up: Leading Your Kiwi Business Into the Future. As well as working with SMEs, Darl is Emeritus Professor of Connectivity at the University of Auckland Business School, where, from 1992 to 2021, he taught management and conducted research on how we maintain social connections (or not) in a digital world.

He has a PhD from Cornell University and has been a Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge. Prior to his academic career, Darl spent ten years as a professional instructor/guide with the Colorado Outward Bound School and the Santa Fe Mountain Center. His experience in experiential education has served him well in designing and facilitating invigorating learning experiences.