Introduce yourself in three words or phrases.
I’m Joe, chief operating officer at Yugo, the global student housing brand and operator where we support and empower students to live their best life with us both on and off campus. In three words I would describe myself as curious, driven, and human.
What do you like most about your job?
It has to be the people. It’s incredibly rewarding to have the opportunity to work with and support talented individuals who take pride in their work and genuinely care about the impact they have on the business and our students. I get a real buzz from watching them grow and flourish when they’re given the freedom to take responsibility, challenge the status quo, and discover better ways of doing things. This often leads to increased student satisfaction and streamlined processes.
Best work trip/Worst work trip?
Working for a global business means I’m fortunate enough to travel to various parts of the world, visiting different Yugo spaces and meeting many teams on the ground. Every team and Yugo space is unique, so no two trips are the same. I take a huge amount of enjoyment out of that, and there are always things I learn along the way.
If you could learn a language instantly, which would you pick and why?
I love languages and am lucky enough to muddle my way through a couple of them. I would like my German to be better and I would love to learn Portuguese, but I don’t think my brain has any space left for more languages!
What makes you get up in the morning?
Nothing motivates me more than going to work and striving to make a difference – a difference to the bottom line, a difference to our people and a difference to our students.
Champion/cheerleader which we should all follow and why?
There are many great and inspiring people to follow but too many people to choose from, so I’ll keep it generic as there are elements we can take from each person such as resilience, challenging the status quo and wanting to make a difference. So that’s why I take inspiration from Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) and Leonardo da Vinci.
Currently, we are working on projects across three continents which will supercharge our growth
Best international ed conference and why
I’ve attended many conferences, some good, some bad. Currently, I am fascinated by AI and the impact it will have on real estate and education in the future. I’m keen to understand how we can harness it to provide a better experience for university students and I look forward to ed conferences that focus on this topic in depth.
Worst conference food/beverage experience?
Awful coffee guaranteed! I’m yet to be impressed by conference food, unfortunately…
Book or podcast recommendation for others in the sector?
There are too many great reads to mention, but the podcast I would recommend is Propcast. I find the variety of guests and topics covered to be very interesting and thought-provoking. They provide different perspectives on the sector and allow me to reflect on how the sector can continue to improve through government initiatives, university strategies, and student engagement.
Describe a project or initiative you’re currently working on that excites you.
Working for a global business means that I am fortunate enough to have exposure to many varied projects and initiatives which fuel our growth. Currently, we are working on projects across three continents which will supercharge our growth and help us cement our position as the class-leading global student brand and operator. I can’t reveal any details, but needless to say, watch this space!
