Welcome Scott Totman, our fab new Project Director
By Lee Colbran|10 Sept 2024
Culture | 3 MIN READ
We caught up with Scott Totman, who recently joined our Project Delivery team as Project Director. We asked Scott about his career to date, his tools of the trade, his go-to website, and the $64,000 question of what's Scott's favorite way to eat an egg.
Firstly, welcome Scott, it's great to have you here; tell us a bit about your career path and how you got into project management.
I've always been an organiser, a bit rule and detail-orientated, so it's not surprising that I gravitated towards that kind of task in my first publishing job. I started out photocopying sales packs in a basement in Covent Garden but ended up managing publishing programmes and delivering bookfair events – a PM was unintentionally born!
From there, no matter what industry I've worked in (and I have moved about a lot), there's been an element of organising. From building a digital content studio at Google, delivering agency web and marketing projects for Sideshow Group and being lead Game Producer at Creative Assembly (SEGA), you'll find me working hard to enable a team of talented experts to deliver successful projects.
For me, everything stems from the people. Fresh Egg has talented specialists to learn from and collaborate with; everyone seems open, willing and fun to work with. That’s a big part of delivering successful projects and making the working day fly by.
Scott Totman, Project Director
What made you choose Fresh Egg as the next step in your career path?
Having worked on a massive, five-year computer game project with a large hybrid team, I wanted to return to more varied, fast-paced projects and work closer with smaller, agile teams. Fresh Egg has great clients, varied projects across many specialisms, and a collaborative culture that is evident in its ability to attract and keep really talented people. It doesn’t hurt that it is based on the beautiful South Coast, either!
What sectors have you worked in?
It’s been a pretty interesting path through loads of different industries. I started in book publishing before a 180° shift to the tech industry, which started a love of all things digital. I went into agency life working mainly on website projects for various clients requiring eCommerce, brochure and subscription-based solutions. I got an opportunity to work at a computer game studio, which stretched my long-term planning muscles and taught me how to work at scale. So, I’ve experienced a lot and am looking forward to what’s next at Fresh Egg.
What do you feel you bring to your new role from your previous jobs?
The main thing I've always tried to do is make sure what I'm doing and asking others to do is ultimately useful to the end product. Put in place processes and systems that help your team deliver, not get in the way. Design communication plans that prevent misunderstandings and build client trust rather than have people sit through endless meetings. It's a real balance, but you should always have an eye on bringing value to what you do.
Scott with Aggy at a recent work social
What do you think makes an excellent project director?
It has to be enabling good communication for so many reasons. Everything stems from facilitating open communication lines at every project step. Do we fully understand the project scope? Does the client know what we’re delivering and when? Are we all collaborating? Do we address issues early? Do we respond to the client quickly? Does the team feel comfortable bringing up pain points? Is the business aware of how the project is going? When a project has an issue, you can (typically) trace it back to a blip in communication.
Tell us about your most challenging project to date?
The pre-production phase of the Total War computer game because of the project scale and amount of change. Covid hit with all the related upheaval; we were innovating, changing processes, and developing multiple connected projects in parallel. As a Producer, I had to be across it all and remain unflappable. We delivered, which was a massive testament to the skills of the production team and the talent of the development team.
You can only use one tool for your job; what is it and why?
Other than ‘communication’ (which I’ve already praised!), I would say there isn’t one tool that fits all. It’s about being flexible and finding the right tool for the right situation. JIRA is ideal for software development but can be a bit heavy for smaller projects. Then again, I’ve cobbled together makeshift dashboards and tracking tools from Google Sheets. So bring in the right tools where you can and adapt where you can’t. There’s always a way.
What can our clients look forward to with you taking the reins on your first project?
I’ve been fortunate enough to work in-house, agency-side, and client-side, and a real strength is understanding what everyone needs from a project and being able to translate that for all involved.
What are you looking forward to most about working at Fresh Egg?
For me, everything stems from the people. Fresh Egg has talented specialists to learn from and collaborate with; everyone seems open, willing and fun to work with. That’s a big part of delivering successful projects and making the working day fly by.
Do you have a digital challenge we can help you with?
If you could only use one website (or app), which one would you choose?
Probably Podcast Republic or BBC Sounds – it's really important I always have something interesting to listen to, some comedy on tap and be able to discover new music.
What do your friends and family think you do for a job?
I often bamboozle them with work talk. My parents smile and nod and are happy I have an income. My wife would probably say she knows too much and wished I hadn’t brought my organisational skills to every aspect of home life. My kids think I actually build the websites myself or “do something boring with spreadsheets”.
Outside of the office, what’s your go-to hobby?
Although I love to get out onto the water, kayaking or paddleboarding, for a little peace and quiet, my main hobby is music. I play bass guitar in a covers band, collect records and am an avid BBC6 Music listener.
Finally, what is your favourite way to eat an egg?
Buttery scrambled eggs, very crispy smoked bacon and thick sourdough toast. With coffee, lots of coffee.
