Staff Spotlight: Russell Cunningham

Russell's experience stems from 7 years as a Naval Officer, complemented by formal education in the Industrial Psychology sphere - bolstering iXperience's operational portfolio in each international location through high attention to detail, a keen understanding of human motivation in the world of work, and a general love for travel and adventure.

As a Rotary Youth Ambassador, I exchanged at a High School in Chaska, Minnesota for my senior year in 2004. This was a series of firsts for me - my first flight in an airplane, first time experiencing snow, and first stint 'out of the nest'. This was also a time before Facebook and Skype, so the 17-year-old version of myself was not tethered to my homeland and I was truly able to immerse myself in all that foreign travel has to offer. I still consider it one of the most formative experiences of my life.

With my foundation combining the rawness of the military with the awareness of human sciences, there was little room to be exposed to tech. Joining iXperience has opened my eyes to the sheer power that technology has on the world of work today. I now consider having a basic understanding of digital platforms to be a form of professional literacy, and it has shaped my ability to strategize, plan and track all of my efforts, both within my role at iXperience and within my personal life.

It is always special to hear testimonials from students about how their experience with iX has impacted their lives. I have been fortunate enough to have heard many such stories, but one that really resonates with me is from a student that came to iX without fully understanding what to expect from this journey. He left some weeks later having made meaningful friendships and falling in love with Cape Town - so much so that he decided to take the leap and make a permanent relocation to work for the international tech-based company that he interned for.

Currently living in Cape Town, I may be a bit bias, but this place is truly special to me - within a 50-mile radius, there is truly so much to see and do. From mountain ranges to wine farms to world-class surf to safari's to amazing food and stunning scenery, this place really does have it all. These are just a few of the many reasons that launched the success of our first location.

We are truly a team of A-players that have banded together to create something meaningful within the international education space. Our passion for unlocking human potential through challenging the status quo aligns us, and our rich tapestry of backgrounds keeps our vantage points unique and fresh. I am always the proudest just before we gear up for the arrival fo our first batch of students for the summer - this is when I get to witness what ot really means to be a team, with everyone contributing, caring and focussing on delivering a world-class product.

Being people-centric. I believe that emphasizing the happiness and feeling of fulfillment of the men and women that make up a company is the cornerstone of success. Yes, there is loads of literature that supports this notion, but it can be practiced in many different ways - finding which way supports your companies vision and having everyone buy into it is crucial, and this dovetails with hiring people that will embrace the companies policies. Ensuring that all staff gain some form of intrinsic reward in their roles means that their personal success will be aligned with the companies success. I believe that iXperience does this incredibly well!