Describe yourself in three words or phrases.
In three words or phrases, I’d describe myself as a tired but very happy young dad, a proud team player, and terrible for typos!
What do you like most about your job?
The flexibility to grow and pivot in different directions. I love pushing into new markets and bringing people along on the journey. It’s really fulfilling to know I play a (relative) part in evolving one of the coolest parts of life – the university experience.
Describe a project or initiative you’re currently working on that excites you.
We’re currently building the biggest global network of student housing (or accommodation, depending on your vernacular), including live projects with clients from Perth, Western Australia, to Phoenix, Arizona, and Prague, Czechia in between. Every week brings new potential partnerships in different parts of the world.
What’s a piece of work you’re proud of – and what did it teach you?
I’m most proud when the team I support drives an opportunity forward in a new way that I couldn’t have imagined alone. Yugo’s recent appointment to manage 6,300 Tier 1 beds in the US is a great example of this. I’m proud to have been only tangentially part of its delivery, and to get to work with a team of incredibly passionate, honest and diligent people who make these kinds of amazing projects happen.
Over the last year, I’ve also worked with teams across Yugo to conduct our annual global insights project, which surveys students and parents across the globe on leading topics like AI and student finance. The findings give us crucial guidance for shaping Yugo’s offering to what students really value. In the case of our latest report, we discovered that 35% of UK students don’t hear back from at least half of the jobs they apply to, and 77% worry about entering the workforce.
What’s a small daily habit that helps you in your work?
Whenever I can, I actively try to connect with someone that I haven’t heard from for a while. It’s proved invaluable for keeping in contact with old friends, colleagues and contacts, especially as I’ve had the fortune to travel the world through my various roles within the Dot Group.
What’s one change you’d like to see in your sector over the next few years?
I’d like to see more of a focus on the experience of living at university, and not just the flashy building that houses our student customers. I think fulfilling value for money in many students’ eyes means investing in more than flashy bathroom taps or overly amenitised common areas.
What idea, book, podcast or conversation has stayed with you recently?
I’ve always really enjoyed dance music, but with two young children, I don’t get to enjoy it as often as I used to! Now I find it helps me focus on work, especially on flights. Recently, Pete Tong’s Essential History of Dance has taken me through the years – and his 2002 episode has stayed with me most.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting out in this field?
People and connections make deals. Fostering genuine partnerships during the good times is what will get you through the not so good, so it always pays to be honest and kind to people.
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