Nicolas Weir, Head of International Sales and Delivery

Describe your role

As Head of International Sales and Delivery, I'm responsible for looking after our international area managers. I also devise our strategy for how we can grow the international arm of the business, and how we can best look after our current network of partner schools to make sure they use our platform effectively.

On top of this, I'm the Area Manager for Switzerland, so am personally responsible for growing our number of partner schools there, and maintaining great relationships with the schools we work with there already!

What’s at the top of your bucket list?

I love snorkelling, snowboarding, fishing and climbing - any 'outdoor' sport really! Last summer I went to the Alps and climbed the Zinalrothorn, from where you get to see lots of other peaks in the Alps. One of them was Dent Blanche, or ‘White Tooth’, which is just over 4,000m high - it’d be great to climb that next summer.

What motivates you at Unifrog?
 
I’d say there are three main things: firstly, I love building great relationships with counselors and teachers at schools around the world; secondly, it’s great to provide students with access to a fabulous tool that I would have found immensely helpful myself when I was a student; finally, I love working with a brilliant team of people and doing my bit to help the company grow!

What’s your favourite memory of being on the road for Unifrog?

Greg and I recently went to a conference in Bangkok and on our way to the venue we were fortunate enough to be able to take a Hello Kitty tuk tuk through the streets. We saw some great views of the city and I won’t forget that journey easily!

Arash Khosravi, International Partnerships Manager

Describe your role

I am the International Partnerships Manager so I make sure our international partners are happy in how they’re using Unifrog, and that they’re making the most of the platform. I help make sure they’re engaging really well so that we’re helping as many students as we can across the world. I also support the International Area Managers, and spend lots of time answering schools’ queries and onboarding new schools so they’re happy with rolling out Unifrog. This is actually my favourite part of the role - I love chatting to schools all over the world and seeing how they’re getting on.

What's your favourite Unifrog tool and why?

There are so many to choose from! It’s probably the Webinars tool though - I really like the fact that we are doing student facing webinars. This is such a great avenue for us to share information, give students exposure to universities, and help them find out everything they need to know - sometimes about things they’ve never even thought about! I really love the fact that over pandemic we’ve rolled out webinars to help students in new ways.

What's the best concert you've ever been to?

My all time best was a John Mayer concert. I’d wanted to see him for ages and it honestly blew my mind! I know all of his songs, the atmosphere was amazing, and I felt so lucky singing along with the crowd.

More recently, the best concert I’ve been to is an Oh Wonder concert. It was two weeks before lockdown and it actually ended up being the last stop on their worldwide tour as the rest of it was cancelled because of the pandemic. It’s just nice to look back on that concert with my girlfriend and know we got the chance to see a great band who we love together before all the craziness set in.

What's your party trick?

This has got to be my Rubik’s cube trick - I can solve them in under a minute. I’d always wanted to learn how to solve them and I had spare time on my hands in my first year of uni so I got on YouTube and kept practising until I got it right. It took me about a month to learn and my personal best is 56 seconds - it always goes down well when I show it off! 

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I was an only child growing up so didn’t have much entertainment - I got obsessed with video games. This was back when you played games off of floppy disks and it was all really new technology. All I wanted to do was be a computer games tester - for someone who spent their whole childhood playing computer games, playing games everyday forever sounded like the dream! Ready Player One would have been my dream world! Computer games testing wasn’t really a thing when I was growing up and it didn’t feel serious enough to be a career - it’s different now, but back then gaming was definitely more of a hobby than a career.

Charley Fowler, Area Manager

What do you find most exciting about being a Unifrog Area Manager?  
I love the excitement when a new partner school comes on board, and we have the first strategy meeting to establish their goals with the platform. It's exciting to help schools take a step back and think about what beneficial changes using Unifrog can bring to their CEIAG programme. Additionally, my partner schools are spread across the East of England and London, and I find it really exciting when I discover cute coffee shops in places that I never would have visited if it weren't for my job. 

As our Gatsby Benchmark Champion, how do you help schools meet the benchmarks? 
As Gatsby Champion, my role is to be as clued up as possible on all things CEIAG policy related. With my partner schools, I'll support them in various ways with this. Often, we'll go through their CEIAG plan with a fine tooth-comb comparing this with the DfE's guidance on meeting the benchmarks. Many of my partner schools are working towards achieving CEIAG awards, so I'll help them by applying my knowledge of how Unifrog relates to the benchmarks and the assessment frameworks for the awards they're applying for.  

How has your background in teaching helped you in this role? 
Before Unifrog, I was an RE teacher at secondary school in Camden, London. Teaching gave me first hand experience of the challenges schools face in a variety of areas, as well as the positive impact good careers education can have on students. Teaching develops your resilience and your ability to empathise with others. All of these things drive me to do a really good job of supporting my partner schools as an Area Manager. I enjoy addressing the variety of issues my schools face relating to careers and destinations, and I love celebrating their successes using Unifrog to combat these. 

What’s your favourite song and why? 
Tough question! I'm all for a girl power anthem. Fighter by Christina Aguilera is one of my faves.

Emily Nash, Teacher Resources Creator and Editor

How did you find starting a new job while working remotely?
Having not met many people over lockdown, it’s been really lovely getting to know the Unifrog team over Zoom! Everyone is so keen to help out and answer questions so that helps to break down the barriers that you might imagine you’ll have when you start a new job whilst working remotely.

I miss having a separate home and work space. I’m fantasising about going into the office - which I did not ever imagine saying before lockdown! It’ll be nice to go for work drinks and coffees again with the team.

What part of your job do you find most challenging? 
I’m the writer and editor of Unifrog’s Resources library. The challenge I tackle and enjoy most often is working out what students need when they learn a new topic and how they can best digest this knowledge. I try to think back to the lessons I found most engaging when I was at school. Being given the tools to learn more about myself as a student and explore future options was the most interesting and exciting thing to learn, so I try to bring this to the resources I create.

Besides this, one challenge is choosing a playlist to listen to when I work so that I don't get carried away with singing along!

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you want with you and why?
First, I would want a hot shower because there is no greater luxury than relaxing under the hot water. I want to be clean on the island, you know!
Secondly, I would want a lifetime supply of soy sauce for all the fish I’ll be catching and frying. It’s the best sauce anyway.
And finally, sunglasses. Regardless of island leisurewear, I want to look cool when I'm finally rescued!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I feel like I'm cheating on London by saying this, but it would be Tokyo - specifically the Meguro river. There are coffee shops, and galleries, and the most beautiful cherry blossoms. I love living in a big city and I loved getting lost in Tokyo when I visited. It’s a very calm place which I was surprised by because it’s so hectic. I’ve been taking Japanese lessons for the last couple of years, so maybe one day I’ll actually make the move! 

Would you rather be able to teleport or time travel? Why?
Definitely teleport: there are so many reasons! Mostly, because judging by Dr Who and the movies, time travel rules are scary when you break them! I also want to explore the world - there are so many beautiful places to visit and amazing people to meet in its current form. I also think going back to the past would be lonely - our current time is so different and so technology focused, there’d be no one to really relate to in the past. Plus, teleporting has lower carbon emissions, so it’s a win win!

Greg Brown, International Area Manager

What does a good work day look like to you?

 The great thing about working at Unifrog is that every day is different. As an International Area Manager I’m often travelling, so when not on the road I really enjoy working from home in the peace and quiet. Plus, I always get to choose the office music! A good day will involve Skype meetings with Unifrog partners and a big part of the role is having a flexible schedule. I can be speaking with people in Kazakhstan in the morning and the Cayman Islands in the evening.

If I’m travelling for work and out in different countries, a successful day is always measured by the positive reactions from students and staff when you present Unifrog at their school. It’s great walking around after the session and hearing the murmurs of excitement.

What’s the most exciting thing that’s happened to you whilst travelling for work?

 A couple of years ago I was in Singapore visiting some Unifrog schools and I decided to take a trip to the ‘Treetop Walk’ in MacRitchie Park. I knew there were lots of macaque monkeys around but I didn’t bet on just how aggressive they could be. As I was crossing the bridge I saw them sizing me up but decided to take a selfie on the bridge anyway. Just as I was looking at the screen, I could see a big macaque monkey charging at me from behind! It jumped on to my shoulders, reached into my bag and tried to grab my stuff. Thankfully I’d seen it coming so turned around quickly and fought him off. He was obviously after the Unifrog booklets in my bag…even the monkeys are keen!

Where are you living at the moment?

 A few years ago I moved to Copenhagen from London. I love living here and because Copenhagen is a lot smaller (and quieter) than London, it means you’re never too far from the beach or forests as well as the city centre. The best thing is the freedom to cycle around the city. Danes are obsessed with cycling, and there is even a word – ‘Copenhagenize’ - which describes making a city better for getting around by bike. The food is also amazing and although I’m not that into seafood (which is a big deal here) there are plenty of delicious pastry shops and ice cream stands to keep me happy. If you need an excuse to visit, just google ‘Nyhavn Sunset’.

You grew up in Northern Ireland – what are your favourite things about it?

 Northern Ireland has a unique charm to it which is hard to find anywhere else - It’s a small place with a real sense of community. If you meet another person from Northern Ireland elsewhere in the world then you’ve an instant friend. Despite its small size it has amazing scenery, from rugged rocky coastlines to sprawling mountains and lakes. The slower pace of life makes it a lovely place to relax when I’m home visiting family and the food always goes down well – an Ulster fry with potato and soda farls, Fifteens and Yellowman honeycomb! 

Hayley Jayne Wilkinson, Account Manager

What do you like the most about your role?
Meeting new people - it’s mostly been on Zoom so I’m looking forward to meeting people in person again! I work with lots of different teachers as well and love being able to help them out and share my knowledge and excitement about the platform with them!

What’s the best thing about working at Unifrog?
Definitely the people. I love spending time with the team on our team days and catch ups - even when they’re online and not in person! And it’s not just the people, but the whole ethos behind what we do for our users and our employees. We really do look after each other and Unifrog as a company looks after us. We have so many measures to support our wellbeing and to make sure we are happy! We have a staff book club, we do quizzes, and we run social activities like Bake Off (which I won, by the way!).

What's your favourite pizza?
It’s a strange one! First of all, it has to be a pizza on a proper fresh dough base. Then, I like BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce, and my 3 toppings are chicken, red onion, and pineapple. Pineapple on pizza is the best and BBQ sauce has a hint of sweetness that brings out the flavour of my toppings perfectly- I have a sweet tooth so it’s so me! Oh, and you’ve got to have a garlic and herb dip to top it off! So good! 

Where is the best place you've ever travelled to? Why is it the best?
In 2018, I went to Stockholm with my fiancé and absolutely loved it. We went in November, so it was very cold but I do enjoy the winter and getting wrapped up warm. It was such a lovely city - not too busy and plenty of history to explore and learn about. As a stationery addict, the highlight of my week was discovering lots of new stationery brands and stores. Scandinavian stationery design is my favourite so I certainly stocked up on lots of new notebooks and pens whilst I was there!

Which reality TV contest/programme do you think you'd win? Why?
My family always tell me to go on Bake Off! In fact, my fiancé thinks my cakes are better than the ones he’s eaten from bakeries, and he’s really critical so for that to come from him is high praise! 

I love baking, but I actually think I’d be too nervous for Bake Off.  I feel like I wouldn’t have a clue for the blind bake and the timings would stress me out. I’m normally really calm but baking just does something to me! I was baking one evening at home for my team in my last job and it went wrong- I got so stressed, I threw the pan across the kitchen and my fiancé banned me from baking for work! I would make headlines with my stress! As much as I love baking, I love eating the cake - if you’re not allowed to lick the bowl on Bake Off, I don’t want to be on it!

Jacqui Hogan, Account Manager

What does your role as an Account Manager at Unifrog involve?

It involves visiting lots of schools and colleges and trying to understand how we might best be able to support them in delivering and monitoring their careers guidance.

What do you enjoy most about working with schools in the North of England?

As a Northener, I love working with schools in the north of England. Every day is different and I enjoy getting to know all the students and teachers in my various partner schools. My work involves a lot of driving and I get to drive through some of the UK's most stunning countryside. 

Is working for a social enterprise important to you?

Working for a social enterprise is very important to me. As a child I lived in what was considered to be an underprivileged area and know only too well the challenges that this can pose to young people. The fact that Unifrog aims to help level out the educational playing field, giving students access to information and resources to help them find the best destinations and opportunities for them is a huge incentive for me and make me feel proud to be a part of it.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

It’s a Marcus Aurelius quote: ‘Do not think that what is hard for you to master is humanly impossible; and if it is humanly possible, consider it to be within your reach.’

Kim Anderson, Area Manager

How long have you worked at Unifrog and what have been the biggest changes in that time?

I'm pretty old school at Unifrog, joining the company way back in 2015. I can remember the early days when we only had three tools. Unifrog is constantly developing and improving so there isn't just one big change. I guess the main change is that there’s now too many of us to all fit around one desk at Team Day!

What’s your favourite tool on the Unifrog platform? 

It's like asking which is my favourite child! The UK university tool will always be a stand out winner,  it never fails to impress people when they see it for the first time. It also makes me wonder how I made a decision on university back in the day, basing my decision purely on the  pictures in prospectuses. Other than that the Subjects Library - in particular the 'Geek Out' section - as it’s jam-packed full of cool stuff. I would definitely have loved it as a student.

What part of your role do you find most challenging? 

Getting hold of teachers! You guys are always so busy that trying to find time to speak to a teacher is like trying to pin down water. 

What’s your favourite film and why? 

Film would be my specialist subject on Mastermind. I'm such a geek - surely no-one can have a favourite? I probably have a favourite in every genre. Growing up with a big brother definitely formed my taste, starting with the Goonies, Rocky and Lethal Weapon (I didn't say it was good taste!). But now being a mum, you don't really get a say, although Moana and The Lego Batman Movie are actually surprisingly good.

Matthew Jones, Area Manager

Describe your role as an Area Manager at Unifrog

Every day is different and there is no ‘normal’ or ‘repetitive’ week. As I cover north west England, north and mid Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, I travel quite a bit. One day I can be over in Enniskillen in Northern Ireland, the next in Greater Manchester (take a look at a map of the UK, it’s some distance)!

There’s no normal 9-5. Some days I’m on the road at 5.30am or catching a flight over to Belfast at 6am and not walking back through the front door until gone 9pm later that night! Whilst demanding and often very tiring, it’s also exciting, rewarding and most importantly, doesn’t bore me to death! I enjoy the role as it keeps me on my toes and at the end of every day I feel like I’ve achieved something.

You've lived in Anglesey all your life, tell us your favourite fact or thing about what it's like to live there?

Bar two brief stints elsewhere yes, I’ve lived in Anglesey my whole life! When I was 16, I left Anglesey and joined the British Army as an Electronic Avionics Technician in Harrogate. But it wasn’t what I anticipated and I left after 12 months to go back into education and work towards university.

Anglesey really is such a beautiful place to live and many of the teachers I meet love coming over to Anglesey in the summer! What I most love about it is it’s a great place to bring up my daughter (who’s now 2)! It has everything - from my family and friends, beautiful beaches, countryside, the mountains of Snowdonia just round the corner and the cities of Liverpool and Chester within a short commute.

What made you want to work at Unifrog?

So, it’s quite an interesting story. I was at home (set the scene) doing some work when I got a call from a friend (and now colleague Tom) asking if I was interested in speaking with his boss regarding a possible job. Out of interest I accepted and Alex, Unifrog’s co-founder, setup a Skype call to show me what exactly Unifrog was.

At the end of the call, Alex asked me for an answer. In my mind I already knew I was going to say yes but I didn’t want to look overly keen and asked for a few days to consider his offer. The next day, I called Alex to accept and made my way to the old office in Bethnal Green on the Saturday afternoon to start training for the following week - dedication!

Seeing how fantastic Unifrog is for supporting kids to make the right choice, to really broadening their horizons and how they can make their aspirations a reality is what sold the job to me. When I joined the army, I wasn’t aware of half the options available to me. I made a naive decision at 15 without really considering all my options. So you could say what made me want to work for Unifrog is the fantastic product, Alex and Coralie’s vision and my own experiences from having made uninformed decisions!

What do you do to unwind?

I love spending time with my beautiful daughter Raya and dog Baxter (yes, named after the dog in Anchorman)! Whether it’s family days out or just a walk with a pit stop to the park. A simple walk will be the best thing ever, with Raya jumping up and down in muddy puddles (all parents will be able to relate). Other than spending time with family, I’ll have the occasional day out with friends watching football - from the lunch time kick off to the evening kick off and every match in-between!

Rebecca Scannapieco, Partner Management Lead

What made you apply to work at Unifrog?

Without wanting to sound cliché, I knew I would have loved to have access to the platform when I was at school. It makes thinking about and researching your next destination so much easier as a student! Having gained more knowledge of the platform, I know given the chance again, I would have applied to some universities abroad. I also love that the platform has made such a big impact for students and knowing that I’m a part of that is so rewarding.

What did you learn working at Zara that has helped you in this role?  

Working in Zara in my previous job definitely taught me a few things! I was able to improve on my communication skills, multi-tasking and also learning new systems and programmes. Unifrog is constantly changing and so being able to learn a new system quickly comes in handy. And working in an office means I can finally put all my clothes that I have accumulated whilst working at Zara to good use!

What’s your favourite thing about talking to teachers every day?

Whether I’m onboarding new schools, helping teachers with admin related queries or guiding them through how to use the platform, it’s always really satisfying to know that we are making their job that little bit easier! We tend to speak with the same teachers on a regular basis which is really nice as it makes it more personal. It’s always nice to have a chat with teachers about how they're getting on, and it's fun to speak with teachers from all over the UK - I especially love a Geordie accent!

Which actor would you get to play you in the movie of your life and why?

Anna Kendrick because like her, my singing is Pitch Perfect (although Samar might say otherwise).

Rob Cannings, International Area Manager

What does a day in the life of an International Area Manager look like?

As International Area Manager for Europe, my day is usually one of two very different scenes. I spend about 7-10 days of every month visiting a different European country, or sometimes two! During these trips, I get to visit our fantastic partner schools and help them integrate Unifrog into their curricula, train staff how to use the platform and most excitingly introduce it to students. I also get to visit schools that we don't yet work with to demonstrate the ways in which Unifrog could help them deliver better careers and higher education guidance for their students. When I'm back at Unifrog HQ here in London, I do all of the above remotely via video chat, recharge and put the finishing touches on the plan for the next trip.

How has your previous experience in Higher Education helped you in this role?

Five years of working in careers and employability services across three different London universities was a great foundation for understanding the environment I now find myself in. In particular, my role at The London School of Economics gave me the opportunity to work very closely with graduate employers from a variety of sectors. This means that I've been involved with helping to shape the future of young people - in one form or another - for a long time now. On a more day to day level, when you've run countless presentations, seminars, and workshops for 18-21 year olds, standing up in front of students a couple of years younger to do something similar doesn't faze you quite as much as it could!

What’s the best thing about travelling as part of your job?

Forgive me for the obvious answer, but as a massive foodie I can't look beyond that. So far in 2020 I've been lucky enough to enjoy ravioli in Rome, gyros in Greece, pastéis de nata in Portugal, and bacalao in Barcelona - do I get extra points for alliteration? - and that's just off the top of my head. As a big football fan, I've also tried to take in a game as often as possible too. I've got to games at the San Siro, Estádio José Alvalade and El Madrigal so far this season. Bonus points for anyone who can name the teams that play in those venues without resorting to Google!

What was the first album you bought?

Being the youngest of four children, I was lucky enough to get some excellent hand-me-down cassettes - yes I was born in the 80s! - from a very young age. I vividly remember dancing around my room to The Prodigy when I was way too young to process the lyrics... I can't remember the first album I bought, but the very first piece of music was a single - Cotton Eye Joe, by Rednex. Thankfully, it didn't lead to me buying whatever god-forsaken album that song featured on. For some extra narrative detail, I also remember that during the trip to Our Price in Torquay to pick up that particular banger, my sister purchased the far more respectable Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio. For shame.

Sheri Barnett, Senior Content Creator and Editor

Describe your role

My role is Senior Content Creator and Editor, which means I research and write new guides for students, I edit guides written by the rest of the content team, and I manage the content team. I also work with experts, universities, and employers to make sure our student facing content is sound, and come up with new projects for the team to work on. In a nutshell, it's a lot of talking, a lot of reading, and a lot of writing - three of my favourite things!

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learnt working at Unifrog?

The most surprising thing I've learnt working at Unifrog is just how many incredible opportunities there are out there! When I was at school I didn't know I could study in Switzerland, or complete a degree in Adventure Filmmaking, or take part in a school leaver programme and study later. There is such a wealth of opportunity out there and - having not had anything like Unifrog growing up - it surprises me every time I find something new and exciting on the platform!

What would your perfect weekend look like?

My perfect weekend would definitely be a city break somewhere in Europe. I love travelling and would quite happily spend every weekend for the rest of eternity exploring new places with my friends or my husband.

What's your favourite pizza?

It's controversial! I love a vegetable pizza with extra chillies and pineapple! I also can't eat dairy and hate vegan cheese, so I go cheeseless...at least no one wants to share with me and I get it all to myself!
 

Sophie Oulton, Area Manager

What does a day in the life of a Unifrog Area Manager look like?

Normally an early start! I work with about 170 schools and colleges across North London, Essex and Suffolk, so I'm often up early to reach somewhere in time for a 9am meeting. Most of my time is spent meeting staff and discussing their goals for careers, and we work out how they can achieve them with Unifrog. I also meet with schools who aren't yet using Unifrog, to talk through how the platform could suit them, and then help them get set up with it. 

What part of your job do you enjoy the most?

Problem solving. I work with lots of different types of schools, who run things in a variety of ways. A big part of my job is adapting Unifrog usage to suit them best, and to make sure it has real impact in every school.

I also love public speaking, which I'm lucky enough to do lots of at the various conferences I attend, or CPDs I run, throughout the year.

How would you describe the culture at Unifrog?

Supportive. We now have about 35 people in the team and we're based all across the country, but we constantly check in with each other to see how we're all getting on, and what we can share from our days.. whether it's best practice, interesting news we've heard that day, or tweets that have made us laugh!

What would your superpower be?

Always managing to pin the tail on the donkey.

Vikki Garner, Head of UK Engagement

What do you find most exciting about working at Unifrog?

So many things! I would probably have to say new developments and the impact they have on schools and students. It's super exciting when you’ve had an idea yourself, or heard about one from the team or a partner school, and then see it develop into a new tool. We always ask a few of our partners to test out new tools, and seeing their reactions as they realise how much of a difference it's going to make to either their CEIAG tracking and management, or opportunities for their students, is equally as exciting as the initial idea.

What part of your job do you find most challenging?

I support the Account Management and Partner Success Teams, and with 2,000 partners to look after, every day is super busy. Our partners provide us with amazing feedback, from how fantastic they're finding the platform to the barriers they have in delivering CEIAG in their schools. I love hearing about these barriers and helping the teams to support our partners to overcome them. I suppose you could say it's our partner schools' challenges that become mine, and I love the challenge of finding the perfect solution. 

Has previous experience as a teacher served you well in this role?

Absolutely! I've had first hand experience of the difficulties when it comes to planning and delivering careers, whether that be a shortage of allocated time, making sure students have the right information for their chosen pathway, trying to create lessons which capture their imagination and raise their aspirations, the list goes on! But it's these experiences - those of the team and of our partner schools - that drive everything we do at Unifrog.  

If you could meet any historical figure, who would it be and why?

This is a tricky one. I'd have to say Rosa Parks. I'd love to go back in time to watch her make a stand against racism through simply sitting on a bus. That one act sent shockwaves through America and earned her the title of ‘the first lady of civil rights’. A phenomenal woman!