Darren Tompkins is the Founder and CEO of Vader-Rey Companies, a multi-division staffing and talent solutions firm supplying elite engineering, construction, and operations talent to some of the most demanding industrial and data-center projects in the country.
After spending years in the Army and oil and gas, Darren broke away from traditional recruiting models to build a company that treats talent like partners and clients like long-term allies. Today, Vader-Rey operates across Recruiting, Engineering Contractors, and Virtual Professionals supporting fast-growth companies that need experienced people now, not in six months.
Known for blending hard-nosed operations thinking with creative brand building, Darren has built and scaled businesses across staffing, media, and consumer products while navigating the realities of entrepreneurship in high-stakes industries.
Darren believes creativity must balance process in business and in life. In his other endeavors Darren is an accomplished film Screenwriter/Producer, an author of children’s books, an independent wrestling promoter who owns his own ring, and the award winning owner of Headlock Hot Sauce, an internationally recognized brand.
Darren used the Army as the launch point for his career and as a way to move beyond the small town where he grew up. He spent five years in the Military Police, supporting operations in Korea, participating in humanitarian missions in Cuba, and serving in the first U.S. platoon of Task Force Eagle to land in Beograd, Serbia as part of IFOR.
After active duty, he transitioned to the Reserves as an NCO in Civil Affairs based in South Carolina while attending the University of South Carolina. During his sophomore year, he earned an ROTC scholarship with the South Carolina National Guard and received his commission in Aviation. He went on to serve as both a Platoon Leader and Executive Officer.
