I have always loved studying. After graduating from a selective school specialising in maths and science, I wanted a change and completed a foreign languages degree at university. At the same time, I started missing formulas and maths problems, which resulted in a economics degree. I also studied with the London Institute of Linguists.

Despite my teaching qualifications and experience in teaching academic disciplines, I have long been helping people to develop practical skills – particularly teenagers about to enter the adult world of university and work. I draw on more than 20 years of experience leading teams in major international companies, including Mail.ru, McCann Erickson Worldwide and Google, to teach students how to set goals and achieve them, write remarkable CVs and resumes, differentiate themselves at interviews, communicate effectively in the adult world, negotiate, set boundaries and protect themselves against manipulation.

These topics are not addressed at school or university in any meaningful way, but they are vital skills for living and working in the real world. People often ask themselves, “Why did that low-performing happy-go-lucky student get an interesting job, whilst I, with my A* and first-class diplomas, never get past the first interview?” The answer to this question may turn out to be more important than all the qualifications in the world. How others perceive us and how we create a positive impression at the right moment is down to how well we communicate. Normally teenagers have to learn the hard way; my purpose is to ease this transition.