Daniel Horton

At the forefront of new technology

Daniel Horton chose to study at University of Staffordshire because the computing science degree was so far ahead of the competition. Now working at PwC as a Senior Solutions Architect since July 2023, Daniel is responsible for designing and implementing complex technical solutions to meet clients' business needs. Reflecting on his transition, Daniel says, "It’s been a great job to have, with my expertise in my former roles serving well at PwC."

Previously, Daniel was at Parker Software in Stoke-on-Trent for nearly 14 years, with his last role being Head of Customer Delivery, a position he held for nearly 4 years. He applied the skills he learned at university every day in his role there. "At the time I was looking at redbrick universities,” says Daniel, “but in 2003 many of the computing degrees were quite archaic and the hardware they used was not that advanced. I wanted to be on the leading edge of developments.

“I think other universities have caught up now but at the time Staffordshire was definitely the best place to go. I was on the Stafford campus, and the Octagon building was cutting edge. It was also on my doorstep, which meant I could stay at home and save a few pennies.

“My degree course gave me the tools to take away and apply to my day-to-day work. Most of the skills we were taught lend themselves to what I do now. For example, project management was instilled in us every time we did a project, and now I can time manage myself and others.

“It gave me technical understanding with a firm foundation in programming and development, and the technology that we were talking about then as experimental is now readily available.

“I can really see the practical application of what we were learning.”

Continuous Rise

After graduating in 2007, Daniel spent a couple of years travelling the world, visiting the United States, Samoa, New Zealand, and Australia. On his return to Stoke-on-Trent, he joined Parker Software as a member of the technical support team. He then worked his way up in the company, becoming a Technical Analyst in 2011 and being promoted to Technical Manager in 2012, eventually becoming Head of Customer Delivery.

In his role at Parker Software, he managed the technical support team and internal infrastructure services, including VoIP, networking, hardware, mail servers, and the company’s main products, WhosOn and Email2DB. "It’s the kind of role I aspired to have,” says Daniel.

However, Daniel's progression continued to elevate. In July 2023, Daniel moved to the international organisation, PwC, as a Senior Solutions Architect. “It’s been a challenging role, but one I’ve really enjoyed. PwC is massive, so the experience is amazing, and I’m really glad to be here.”

Made by Staffordshire

Although Daniel continues to progress and thrive, he always remembers the time he spent at Staffordshire with great fondness and has stayed connected with people he met during his time at university. “Going back to the university brings back good memories,” he says. “Quite a lot of my lecturers are still there. They were all great – I don’t have anything bad to say about them. They always gave positive criticism, and the lectures were very engaging.

“I’m still friends with lots of people from university and speak to some of them online on a daily basis. My favourite memory of the university is the people I worked with.”

Year of graduation

2007