Introduce yourself in three words or phrases.
- Education recruitment leader at Arden University
- Dad
- Casual-ish middle distance runner
What do you like most about your job?
I’ve always loved being able to give genuinely good advice to students that helps them form their decision. That’s a buzz I hope never to lose. What I particularly like about my job at Arden University is that I’m part of a project to bring Arden’s domestic success to an international market. It’s great being part of a project from the ground up.
Best work trip/Worst work trip?
Best trip was probably Turkey in 2010. It was my first time travelling there and it ended up being a very busy but successful exhibition, followed by some excellent food and sightseeing in Istanbul and Izmir.
Worst trip was a couple of years ago to Kenya and Tanzania. The trip was going great and I love both of these countries, but a mix-up with the airlines resulted in me having a 30-minute connection to get through immigration, check in my bags with a new airline and catch a connecting flight.
In the end I had to choose between waiting at immigration and baggage reclaim and likely missing my flight, or making the flight and leaving my bags untagged in Nairobi. Went with the latter, and still just about made my flight, but didn’t see my luggage for three weeks. The airport staff were incredibly helpful, but it was very difficult for them to arrange the return of luggage across multiple airlines.
If you could learn a language instantly, which would you pick and why?
Spanish. My daughter goes to a bilingual school where half of the curriculum is delivered in Spanish, so it would nice to be able to help her with the homework she gets in that language.
What makes you get up in the morning?
I love a morning run. Whatever else is going on in the day always seems a little easier after I’ve kicked things off with a 5k. I do also believe in the benefits of consistency and putting in a sustainable amount of effort into personal and professional goals – the results may vary, but consistency is important to me. Also having a five year old in the house definitely makes me get up in the morning – quite literally.
Champion/cheerleader we should all follow and why?
I am a huge fan of John Amaechi. I’ve followed his career since he was a professional athlete, and his work after his sports career ended on psychology, equality and leadership mentoring deserves a much greater platform. He’s consistently made courageous decisions throughout his career that I find inspiring.
Best international ed conference and why
ICEF Berlin is always a favourite. It’s the only time I will see that many friends and former colleagues from across the industry and also feel like I have made some tremendous new business connections. The PIE Live India is certainly the best conference I’ve been to this year as it brought together so many different facets of the industry under one umbrella.
Worst conference food/beverage experience
Let’s just say the salad was warmer than the chicken.
Book or podcast recommendation for others in the sector?
It doesn’t specifically relate to international recruitment, but I do think Don’t believe everything you think by Joseph Nguyen is a great tool for managing overthinking and reaching a state of mindfulness and emotional balance.
We all get bombarded with so much information, negative news and stress in all areas of life, and some of the techniques and practices in the book really help both professionally and personally. It’s a pretty short read so something that can be read waiting for a connecting flight or of an evening in a hotel room.
Describe a project or initiative you’re currently working on that excites you.
I’m working on Arden University’s international growth strategy, which is incredibly exciting as I really believe in our offering in both Berlin and the UK. It’s been fantastic to watch the team grow as well as the regions that we are actively recruiting from expand. I think our focus on employability and professional accreditations gives students a really compelling experience overall, so it’s a very exciting time.
