Staff Spotlight: Annemarie Gaillard

Title:
Program Manager

Photos

Annemarie is a Program Manager at Beyond Academy.

Before working at Beyond Academy, Annemarie was a professional actor for 10 years and then worked as a creative arts psychotherapist within schools and hospitals.

Annemarie is from N. Ireland but is now based in London, and through her work at Beyond, loves helping interns have amazing work and travel experiences.

What is your favorite travel memory?

Really hard to choose! I'd say there's two that stand out:
When I was 19, as part of a school trip, I got to trek the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and climbed Toubkal, the highest peak. It was incredible! The views were stunning and it felt like such an achievement to reach the summit.
My other memory is when I worked as an actor I got to fly out to LA on a job. It's a unique city - and seeing the Hollywood sign for the first time was quite something!

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I’d say I have grown exponentially working for Beyond Academy! I have a very diverse professional background, and when I first started working for Beyond Academy I was looking for a role and a company where I could channel all my different skills and expertise. Beyond Academy has offered me this opportunity and allows me to continuously learn, develop and improve.
It's a fast-paced environment at Beyond Academy and a rapidly progressing company - it’s an exciting journey to be a part of!

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

I love speaking to our students; from their initial admissions interview with us, right through to connecting with them during their internship program - and meeting them in person if it's in London! The students on our programs come from such diverse backgrounds and industries, and of course are from all over the world.
As for my favourite stories from students, I’d say it's when we hear that their internship has gone so well that the company has offered them a fulltime job! It's so encouraging and hugely exciting to watch their career kick-start.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
I’d say the Tokyo Immersive Program. I’ve never been to Japan and would love to visit. What I love about our programs is that you get to travel and have a proper adventure whilst gaining valuable work experience. To live in and explore an amazing city such as Tokyo and also supercharge my career at an awesome company - dream come true! Plus on the program you get to visit Mount Fuji and also make friends from all over the world!

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

What makes Beyond Academy unique is that we are all so passionate about what we do. We care! And we want the best for our interns. Also, although we are a global company and based throughout the world, we have such a strong team bond and sense of community.
I'd say I was especially proud of the team this summer during our London Immersive Program. Our community team really went the extra mile for everyone on the program and provided them with such an awesome experience.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

A great team! Having shared beliefs and a supportive, well-functioning team is fundamental. Of course everyone has their off-days, but building and maintaining good working relationships and having clear, honest communication really is key from a personal professional perspective, and also for the growth of the company. Understanding your colleagues as people and helping to elevate them in their role can be so important too.