EF Connects: secrets of successful international career

– Hello, could you please tell about yourself?

– My name is Pierre-Francois Robert-Tissot, I’m Swiss. I was born in Geneva, then lived in Geneva, in Los Angeles, then worked in London and now back working in Zurich Switzerland. For work and for fun, I’ve traveled the world to more than 55 countries. I have a Master degree from the University of Geneva and I completed it with a one year program at Cal State Northridge in Los Angeles. I’m currently Chief of Staff for EF Education which takes me to travel the world and work with teams all across Europe.

-What you can recommend to a young person, who wants to start and develop a successful international career?

-My recommendation is that after your studies, young people should always do an internship to start understanding how the real world functions and then go abroad to learn languages, or specialize. Living abroad is almost a guarantee that you will be a better person, that you will feel a lot more confident and that you will be better equipped for future jobs, locally or internationally.

-How do you motivate yourself?

-Honestly, I’m self motivated! I’m having a great life, a great family, international friends. I love my job and I do lots of sports to keep me fit. Life is good!

-What is your motto in life?

-One Life. Live it.

-Who influenced you the most in life and why?

I’m a rock music fanatic so I would say that Sting is someone I respect a lot. I like his life style, his views on “talents and perseverance” and of course his music.

-What is the most valuable advice you have ever received? Who was the person who gave it?

When I was an adolescent, I played tennis at a quite high level. One day my tennis teacher told me: “Pierre-Francois, you are quite good but you are nothing on an international level, you start to have a “big head”, stay humble. I kept that advice since then.

–How do you like to spend free time?

-I love nature and sports so as soon as I can, I’m up climbing mountains, skiing or sailing with family and friends.

-What childhood dreams did you bring to life?

-International friendship.

-A book, a movie and a song you would recommend to everybody?

I would highly recommend to download an album produced by Sting’s Son. The band is called “Fiction Plane”, the album is called “Left side of the Brain”. Fantastic and unknown!

-Which answer you would like to respond, but you were never asked?

-I think I can tell people how to wake up happy every morning…

With Aliya Zhunussova, General Director of EF Kazakhstan.