202389_wp 99_ttu jwright 10 6_7_2024
Darrin Hanson spent his first year after college crawling under dusty countertops in Amoco gas stations. He wasn’t searching for spare change or sneaking away from the responsibilities of a greenhorn professional. Hanson, equipped with a broadcast journalism degree from the School of Mass Communications at Texas Tech University, was installing point-of-sale systems. They even had touch screens. But nine months later, the journalism graduate was leading his own team of installers, his hands clean of the ambiguous grime from bundling wires beneath counters. Soon enough, Hanson set out for California as the new on-site liaison between Chevron Oil Company and his employer formally known as EDS. Then, Dell Technologies was knocking on his door. A few years later, his business cards read Vice President, followed by Chief Revenue Officer. Today, he stands as the Senior Vice President at Abrigo. Without a broadcast station in sight of his career trajectory, Hanson nonetheless attributes his exponential success to his degree track within the then-School of Mass Communications.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT story & photography by JAMES LOSS
“Guess why?” asks Hanson as he sits in the living room of his ranch home outside San Antonio. “I was good at communicating. I took so many experiences and lessons from my degree and used them. From those young ages, I felt I was good at leading meetings and facilitating strategy conversations simply because of going to a school centered in communication.” Behind Hanson is a pool table claiming the middle of the room, a testament to his love story with his wife Maureen. Texas Tech memorabilia spatters the walls and shelves like black and scarlet paint— although, they must share space with some Aggie gear on account of
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FAR&WIDE A l u m ni M a g a z ine