Young Parking Professional: Joel Hughes

British Parking Awards 2021

In just four years in the industry, Joel Hughes has displayed exceptional dedication to customers, frequently going the extra mile to find suitable solutions to their parking issues. Hughes, 25, joined the Traffic Support division of WSP, which is now Taranto Systems. in July 2017 as a business development executive. His understanding of individual local authority client needs saw him rapidly promoted to senior business development executive in December 2019.

His colleagues say Hughes has a natural ability to translate “tech speak” and can demonstrate parking management software in ways customers can easily relate to their everyday lives. Given the broad challenges faced by local authorities, he has shown an ability to collaborate with customers, internal technical teams and third party suppliers to source solutions that meet clients’ specific requirements. Hughes has worked on several complex Taranto projects.

In the delivery of a system to Ealing Council in London, he was central to the onboarding process, working closely with the client to understand its permit requirements. His collaborative approach was key the company’s recent successful submission of the company’s successful Dartford tender, which was organised and delivered entirely virtually due to COVID-19.

On the recent York Taranto bid, he collated method statements in response to council questions and delivered a post-submission software demonstration. His professionalism and communications are seen as key reasons why York chose Taranto as their new parking software. During the Sheffield tender process, Hughes fulfilled the role of bid manager and, once again, led the post-submission software demonstration, where his consultative approach was critical to Taranto being named as preferred software supplier.

Hughes says: “I was honoured to be nominated by my Taranto colleagues and peers in the parking community. It’s an exciting time to work in an industry that touches countless people’s lives each day. Introducing Taranto’s benefits to both our clients and building those relationships as a result, is so rewarding.”
Lewis Wray, Taranto Systems’ managing director, says: “Joel embraces every aspect of his role with passion, professionalism and an exceptional work ethic. Having been in the industry for a relatively short time, he has an extraordinary understanding of the sector complexities and uses this knowledge in a consultative, collaborative manner to help local authorities find the right solution for them.”

Chris Murphy, Taranto sales director, says: “Joel constantly goes the extra mile for the business and our clients. He has been involved in numerous projects in our time working together, whether it be to improve the day-to-day lives of some local authorities by updating their enforcement system or improving processes for members of the public. Having such a positive impact on the industry at such a young age highlights why Joel deserves to be nominated for this award.”

Barry Johnson, Taranto senior technical director, says: “Joel puts his heart and soul into everything he works on. He has a passion for parking, genuinely believes in our Taranto product and understands the benefits it can deliver. He wants our customers to have a brilliant product experience. When updating technology at large organisations such as York and Sheffield, Joel played an important role in helping clients transition from older software onto Taranto. His understanding of clients’ everyday roles enables him to demonstrate the benefits Taranto software will bring.”

Jon Manning, Taranto training manager, adds: “Joel is a selfless individual who works brilliantly as part of a team in a role that requires him to interface with customers and technical departments. This was particularly evident at the Haringey demonstration where, in a pressured environment, Joel was able to show the system whilst fielding questions, ensuring the customer was satisfied the product met their needs and specification down to the letter. Joel’s thoughtful constructive criticism means he is the first person the training team turns to for feedback on training delivery. He is a highly respected member of the team.”