“What I love most about IDP is the strong culture of collaboration, mutual respect that all IDP team members have for each other, wonderful avenues of professional and personal growth and a huge focus on improving customer experiences. As Director - Sales and Operations, what I love the most about my role is the lifelong impact and value that we create in the lives of students and their families through quality work done by our counsellors and managers. Also, the opportunity to interact with a diverse and big team of people with a growth mindset is a big bonus for me! 

I started with IDP as the Destination Head for Canada in 2016. I was able to bring all my knowledge of the Destination along with real asks and expectations of students from across South Asia, due to my expertise in this sector. Fortunately, we were able to get the right people in the Canada team which helped propel our growth, ultimately enabling and helping students in India who aspire to pursue International Education in Canada, achieve their dreams. Hence, my past experience, personal conviction for the destination and understanding of the present opportunity allowed me to be successful in that role. My family’s support also allowed me to focus on the task at hand, which benefited me immensely.  

In 2016, we had a counselling team of 36 for Canada. In 6 years, by Oct’22, before I moved to a different role, Canada team was and is currently over 500 counsellors strong in India, as we are enabling more and more Indian students achieve their dreams of pursuing their higher education in Canada. I’m immensely proud of our growth and all that we’ve achieved together as a team! 

Two years ago, I expressed my desire to switch to a sales-related leadership role. IDP supported me fully and I was given the room to be involved in sales reviews and process improvement related discussions, even while I was still managing a destination (Canada). IDP also helped me in identifying and developing critical skills to be ready for the next relevant opportunity. I put in the work and when the right opportunity came, I was promoted to be the Director - Sales and Operations for North and East India. 

In my current role, leadership involves guiding, motivating, and coordinating the efforts of team members towards a common goal. This includes setting clear expectations, delegating tasks, providing feedback, and fostering a collaborative and productive work environment. It also means guiding and supporting the professional development of team members through mentoring, sharing knowledge and expertise, providing guidance on career growth, and offering constructive feedback to help individuals reach their full potential. In my previous role, leadership meant building long term relationship with key stakeholders. It involved building strong relationships with various teams, peers, superiors, and external partners. This included networking, establishing trust and leveraging relationships to achieve shared objectives. 

IDP has empowered me to grow professionally and personally by enabling me to go beyond my role, learn something new every day, widen my knowledge and thrive! The organization's culture aligns with my personal values, creating an environment where I feel comfortable expressing myself. Being part of IDP, I've experienced first-hand the power of working in a supportive and inclusive workplace, where diverse perspectives are celebrated. The company encourages open communication and provides platforms for team members to contribute their unique ideas and insights. 

I think that if there is value in what we do, work becomes more enjoyable. If we understand what our work means to our customers, then there is a profound sense of responsibility also. We work in a sector where we are in a position to create huge value and impact on the lives of students. We not only guide them through the admission process of an institution abroad but also put them on track for their lifelong career aspirations. It is not a one-time sale but a huge responsibility for us to guide students in the right way. This keeps me going and doesn’t allow me to lose focus on customer service in my role at IDP.  

Fun facts about me: I love playing cricket. I actually captain my residential society’s cricket team and we play every weekend with other society teams from the city. I also love playing board games with my 4-year-old daughter; however, she rarely sticks to the actual rules of the game!” – Rahul Kumar, Director – Sales and Operations, North & East in India.