Staff Spotlight: Jo Shirriffs, Director of GISS & Enterprises

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.

I am the Director of Gordonstoun International Summer School (GISS) and Enterprises, so I am responsible for lots of different things. I run (GISS), but also any other holiday programmes including Active Revision and Adventure Easter, which was a new programme this year. I am also responsible for Enterprises, which ensures Gordonstoun continues to innovate and thrive, offering more for families in the local area and across the wider world. Additionally, I am also responsible for Gordonstoun’s full-time Travel and Transport departments.

What do you enjoy most about GISS?

My favourite things about GISS are the atmosphere and the community. Students come from Scotland, the UK and all over the world, and many staff come back year after year. It’s lovely to see old faces, as well as the new, and it's wonderful to see how quickly they all come together into a really strong community. Just seeing everyone having fun, that’s the best.

What is your department getting up to at the moment?

We are totally getting geared up for GISS, making sure we’ve got everything in the right place. We’re finalising all of the staffing arrangements and making sure we’ve got all the resources we need. Soon, we will be allocating all the students to houses which is exciting. Really just making sure that everything is in place, because it’s not that far away now!

For students that are coming to GISS this summer, what can they look forward to?

They can look forward to coming to an amazing part of Scotland, making friends with people from all over the world and trying lots of new things. I encourage them to make the most of it - it's an amazing opportunity.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Oh my goodness, that's a really difficult one. Being in a place where I'm happy, I suppose. My family's one of the most important things to me. But just generally being happy, happy at my work, happy with my family.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

For me as a parent, it’s my children being happy. In terms of me as an individual, it’s feeling that I'm contributing something positive - that's what I've tried to do throughout my career. I started off in investment banking and I didn't feel I was going to be able to contribute what I wanted to in that kind of environment, so I moved out of that quite quickly. Perfect happiness for me, is feeling like I'm making a difference, moving forward each day and continuing to develop as a person.

What is something surprising about you?

My masters was in peace and conflict studies, which I studied at the University of Sydney, which was amazing.

Languages are my original passion. I speak French and German, and I’m trying to learn Arabic at the moment.

What talent, real or fictional, would you most like to have?

I'd like to be a really good skier. I go skiing with my family and I'm rubbish, I'm just too scared. You know when you see people who can carve really well? I'd like to be able to do that. I try every year but I don’t get any better!

Is there a quote or saying you live your life by?

Not a quote as such, but something along the lines of “you’ll work it out”. Particularly stuff with work when you look at it and think “I don't know how to do that”. I always believe that I'll get there, I'll work it out.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Chocolate!

Thanks Jo for taking the time to chat with us!

Join us at Gordonstoun International Summer School for an unforgettable summer of learning, friendship, and adventure. To find out more about our vibrant GISS community click here.