Darren Alger didn’t start Unify Consulting in Kirkland - he founded the company in 2012 in Seattle, across from T-Mobile Park. However, after Chris Hansen purchased the building, Alger found himself looking for a new location. “I love Kirkland - it’s just a great place,” he says, “we found a building in Rose Hill and bought it.” While the pandemic made working from home the norm for most white collar companies, Alger enthuses about the synergy that comes into play when Unify employees are together.
Born and raised in Mill Creek, Alger didn’t always plan to be an entrepreneur. He got into consulting and was passionate about coming up with creative solutions working on fun, interesting projects. He saw needs that weren’t being met by the big multinational consulting firms, and “I felt I had to do it (start the company), I had a great opportunity.”
Now Unify employs 700 people, and Alger says “It’s humbling to be responsible for hundreds of employees, ensuring they’re engaged and bought in, and knowing the buck stops with you. But when you get to hire people who want to contribute and help you succeed, it makes the responsibility that much easier.”
One of Unify’s guiding principles is that employees’ personal lives are recognized as a priority, and Alger, as a self-described recovering workaholic, sees the importance of modeling that. “I have a great family and I love to spend time with them,” he says. Employees thrive knowing that Unify leadership sees them as more than just their jobs.
“We work all across the enterprise of large companies,” says Alger, “How can we be the best? It’s a big challenge.” The way Alger conveys his enthusiasm and passion for consulting, as well as his conviction that family and personal lives must be prioritized over work, make him a dynamic leader who can help his company evolve as needed. “I want to be the best consulting firm in the world in how we serve our dedicated clients,” emphasizes Alger.