A proud Welshman, Doran Davies lives by the mantra, “If you enjoy what you are doing, it’s not a job; it’s a passion.” As CEO of Bounce Middle East, Doran combines his love for sports and his enthusiasm for getting people active. The best part: he gets to put smiles on people’s faces every day!
For over 15 years, Doran pursued a career in the telecommunication industry. He was appointed as Head of EMEA Product Marketing at HTC in 2006, following which he took up the position of Director of Global Product Management at INQ Mobile, London.
In 2011, he rejoined HTC as a Global Account Director. The following year he relocated to Dubai, where he was appointed Director of Products, Operations and Global Operator Sales HTC across Europe, Middle East and Africa. Interestingly though, it is his first job at an ice cream parlour in Wales that he still cherishes. Perhaps, those lingering memories prompted him to change tracks in 2013…
Doran took a huge leap, shrugging off the corporate world and free-falling into Bounce Middle East. “I love what I do and feel that Bounce is making a difference; getting people active while giving them a strong sense of freedom and fun. The sense of achievement you feel when you have learnt or tried something new is powerful,” he maintains.
While it might look like fun and games, Doran’s job is not sans challenges. But staying focused on his purpose, and having a grip on why he does what he does makes it possible for him to tackle them on the daily. He has spearheaded the roll-out of Bounce across four countries with eight venues, including the newly opened branch in Muscat, complete with free-jump areas, performance trampolines, the X-Park adventure obstacle course, Wall Running and the The Speed Slide, among other adrenaline-rush inducing activities.
While he’s been scaling newer heights in his career, Doran has been proving to his two kids – Ella, 9 and Barney, 7 – that dads can be cool! A family man, Doran’s life outside of work includes sporting and social activities and juggling parenting responsibilities with his wife Rachel. “We are a family of ‘wallrunners’ and passionate bouncers! One of the perks of the job…” he quips.
So, what does he hope the future will bring? “I wish I had a crystal ball…” he muses, but hastens to list the plans in the offing: “I love the sports/entertainment space and I’m always looking to grow our brand. By the end of this year we are going to have ten Bounce venues across the region, with more in 2020. We launched Zero Latency, a next-level immersive virtual reality gaming arena, earlier this year in Riyadh and Doha, and it’s coming soon to Muscat.”
Doran is excited about Bounce Oman becoming a new space for the youth of Oman to hang out. “The response has been amazing; I’m already seeing the colourful people of Muscat coming back again and again. The beautiful thing about Bounce is that it is accessible to all ages and abilities, whether you are a freestyle sports athlete, or you just want to have fun. And guess what, while you are having fun, you are burning some serious calories too!” he explains.
The home I grew up in…
A small town called Swansea in Wales; it’s beautiful with an amazing countryside and beaches.
When I was a child I wanted to…
Be the next James Bond. How cool would it be to be 007?
The moment that changed me forever…
Becoming a father! It made me learn that it’s okay to ask for help.
My greatest inspiration…
A member of the Bounce Tribe, Cris is a constant source of inspiration. He is a talented Trampolinist and Acrobat. When he joined Bounce, he could hardly speak English, so he taught himself and is now our Regional Head Coach.
I dream of…
My children growing up in a world where people respect the planet we live on more. A world where we don’t have to worry about global warming and about swimming in a sea full of plastic.
It’s not fashionable, but I like…
I’m lucky to be married to a fashion designer, so I don’t have to worry about what I’m going to wear/buy.
You may not know it, but I’m very good at…
When I was younger I was very sporty; rugby was and still is my passion. I took up Ju Jitsu when I was 16, threw myself into it and became the UK national champion for two years in a row!
My favourite haunt/holiday destination…
One of the places I’ll always remember fondly is Fiji, a true tropical paradise. Taking boats from island to island was amazing. One boat trip was particularly memorable, zipping along the ocean one minute then being smacked in the face by a flying fish the next! I hope to travel to Japan soon.
My favourite weekend spot in Oman…
Two years ago, I took my family to the Musandam Peninsula. Amazing scenery, crystal clear waters and a school of dolphins swimming near the boat we were in!
My success mantra is…Be positive. It’s easy to think of reasons not to do things. You need to focus on the reasons to do something.
