Our 5,000 strong IDP team works hard to ensure we support as many students as possible to achieve their global education goals. We are proud of the strength that lies within our resilient and passionate team at IDP.
Ada Xu has been a core member of the IDP Education team for the last 13 years.
Ada began her career at IDP in the Business Development and Client Relations team in the Shanghai office - her vast industry knowledge from her previous experience as a project leader at TAFE Global made her big-picture thinking and connection to the local industry incredibly valuable.
Now a Marketing Director, Ada’s career at IDP has spanned client service, events management, and business development and marketing. Ada has developed her skills and expertise, built her confidence and management capabilities, and has become a proud leader in the wider IDP community.
Ada says her success and growth with IDP is largely due to the motivation and energy from her students and colleagues.
“IDP students never give up on their willingness to go abroad, which inspires me to continue to improve what experiences we can provide for our students. And it’s the same with my team members. Their creativity and energy encourage me to do more and be better. I feel proud to be one of the IDP team.”
Ada has played a significant role in the global growth and success of IDP in the past five years.
“In 2012, I worked with my manager and team to start a new business unit to create remote and online student counselling. Remote delivery of counselling was a first for the industry and a business idea well ahead of its time.”
With great perseverance and joint efforts, IDP was one of the first significant players in the international education sector to offer online services to students seeking counselling, defining IDP as an industry leader.
Ada also helped the business diversify its product offering by recommending the acquisition of a local Chinese company that specialised in supporting Chinese students travelling to the UK to study. Ada facilitated the acquisition by supporting her supervisor during pivotal meetings, provided intelligent counsel from her prior knowledge about the industry, and helped smooth the acquisition transition, particularly around staff retention. A year later, the acquisition was successful and was a milestone achievement for IDP in 2015.
Ada credit’s her contribution over the years at IDP to the teaching and support she received from her team, managers and the IDP leadership team.
“I am so grateful that my colleagues trusted my ideas and were confident that my work would have a positive impact on the business. It has given me the confidence to be challenged, try new ways of working, step into new roles, and lead others.”
Ada is also continuously inspired by her leadership team, her colleagues in China, and her current supervisor.
“At IDP, there are so many people you can learn from who are willing to share their best practices and learnings with you. I also have been endlessly inspired and supported by my supervisor Raja - you’d be amazed by his energy and passion.”
As Director of Marketing Operations and Business Development for IDP, Ada has big plans for the next 12 months.
“As Customer Experience Lead in China, we will be a strong advocate of a customer-centric culture in the company. I’m planning to lead the implementation of critical projects that will drive improved customer experience and efficiency. I’m also planning to expand our touchpoints with customers through innovative events and new marketing campaigns.
I’ll also be leading the business-to-business (B2B) team to upgrade our service offerings to become the preferred recruitment platform for our clients and customers.
I know there are some challenges ahead, but I’m excited to see how we can tackle them together to ensure we continue to help students achieve their international education goals and global ambitions.”