If you’ve been with us since 2019 (or have just had a really good hunt around our older blog posts) you might have had the pleasure of reading a Meet The Team interview with a certain Adam Diprose, our former South African GM. Now if that name sounds familiar, that’s because he’s now Elevate’s very own Head of People Operations – some of you might have even met with him already to discuss future opportunities at Elevate once you finish up your studies.
It’s now been half a decade since since we last spoke with Dip on Meet The Team, so we thought it was about time we checked back in to see how he’s getting on in his new role, what’s changed – and what hasn’t.
What’s changed since we last caught up?
There’s been a lot going on! I finished up as GM of Elevate South Africa at the end of July 2023, and it’s great to see André hit the ground running as the new GM. I have moved into my new role with Elevate as the Head of Operations – People & Culture, which I’m absolutely loving!
Tell us more about your new role – how will coaches and presenters interact with it? What drew you to it? What do you hope to achieve in it?
I have been fortunate to have been given some amazing opportunities with Elevate, and I’m looking forward to working to provide other people at Elevate with similar opportunities. I hope that I can connect with more people across the Elevate sphere and help them to have the best possible experience working at Elevate.
There are a few key parts to my role:
1. Working with the different Elevate offices to support them in their HR activities.
2. Ensuring that the presenter and coach roles are as rewarding and fulfilling as possible – this includes looking at how we train and onboard new presenters/coaches, how we manage them, how we continue to improve them, and how we can deliver the most impactful programmes to schools and families.
3. There’s a reason I have been with Elevate for 15 years – I love the culture, the people at Elevate, and the values that we stand for. Part of my role is looking at how we can continue to develop our culture and promote this throughout the organisation.
Give us a couple of your fondest memories at Elevate since your last Meet The Team interview.
There are a lot of them! Attending our Leadership Conference in Tokyo, Japan. Watching the South African business keep charging without missing a beat after I wrapped up as GM. Starting my new role at Services - attending board meetings and learning more about the wonderful work we are doing in so many areas.
What is your hidden talent that no-one in the office knows about?
I learned to juggle at school, so on a good day I can juggle 3 balls off a wall, and also off the ground (not at the same time...).
Is your go-to karaoke song still the same?
Previous Answer: Shaggy by Angel
The lights go out. I’m standing in a pitch-black room. Suddenly you hear the whisper of ‘closer... closer.... closer’ and I bust out Closer by Ne-Yo.
Current favourite TV series/film?
Previous Answer: Friends, then Scrubs.
Films: Good Will Hunting. Shawshank Redemption is a classic. The Great Beauty. TV series: The Last of Us. Money Heist. Silo. Only Murders in the Building.
Favourite food?
Previous Answer: Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese
Cheese. I often joke that my death row meal would be a cheeseboard, followed by mac and cheese, and cheesecake to finish.
What are you most excited about at Elevate at the moment?
There are so many exciting things happening in each country. We’re making great progress and doing a lot of things really well – but there is also a lot that we can be doing to improve our product, our processes, and our people! I always love getting to the end of the year, and looking back and seeing how far the business has come, and I’m really excited to be a part of that growth in my new role.
And there we have it – a lot has changed over the past 5 years, but Dip’s love for Mac and Cheese has stood the test of time. Thanks for sharing, Dip, and hopefully we’ll be checking back in another 5 years to see how your taste in karaoke tunes has matured further!
If you’d like to speak with Dip about the opportunities Elevate could have in store for you once you finish university, you can let him know today. Just click the button below and fill in the quick 2-minute form, and Dip will be in touch shortly!