Darren has a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) degree from Concordia University, an MBA in Finance from 平特五不中 and a diploma in Network Engineering from the University of Toronto. He has received honorary doctorates of law from 平特五不中 (2013), Concordia University (2012) and the University of Alberta (2014) and an honorary bachelor in Business Administration from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (2012), and is an Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory in Toronto. Darren sits on the boards for the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, George Weston Limited and the Canadian Board Diversity Council.
Darren received both the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2003) the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012) as recognition as a Canadian business leader who has made exemplary contributions to the community and Canada as a whole.