Thinking about a career with Futuro? Chances are, the first person you’ll talk to at Futuro is our wonderful People & Culture Manager, Christo Kruger. So we thought it would be a great idea to interview Christo, so you can learn a little about the person on the other end of the line!
It’s hard to imagine Christo doing anything other than working in People & Culture. He has genuine interest in people and can quite literally talk to anyone. We love how hard he works to understand each and every team member, what they want from their careers, and help Futuro to deliver it.
Cross-cultural understanding
Christo was born in South Africa, attended school in Botswana, returned to South Africa for University, took a job teaching in South Korea and then emigrated to Australia at the beginning of 2024. Indeed, Christo learned English from a dictionary at the age of 14, not the easiest way to learn!
However, each change was embraced as an opportunity for cross-cultural understanding. Christo’s view is that “not everyone is the same, which means that you can’t treat everyone the same. There are many things that influence what people are looking for in the workplace, and culture is one of them”.
The power of education
Receiving a quality holistic education made Christo a firm believer in the power of education to transcend social and economic barriers. In his final year of formal schooling, Christo established a not-for-profit initiative that created conservation areas for black rhinos in Botswana, and then transported rhinos from South Africa to safety.
Making this initiative come to life involved community engagement, raising awareness and fundraising. This is an important and worthy initiative in and of itself, however it also demonstrated the very real way in which education can be a force for good.
Thoughts on Australia?
Christo had some ideas about Australian culture before arriving here but nonetheless, some things still took him by surprised. Red tape? Australia invented it! Slow internet? No one does it better! Patchy mobile reception? What’s mobile reception again?!
But don’t worry, it’s not all bad news. Australians are accommodating and pleasant, and it’s common to engage with everyone you meet regardless of who they are. Similarly, he feels that all parts of Sydney are accessible to all Sydney-siders, as opposed to his home town where there are areas that unequivocally “off-limits”.
And finally, thoughts on ECEC?
It’s no secret that there are some pretty significant challenges in the early childhood education and care profession at the moment – particularly in Australia. Burnout is common, and it’s important to find and nurture people with a genuine passion for working in the profession. It takes time, effort and attention and there are no shortcuts. However, it’s worth the time and effort that it takes, because we owe it to the Educators to provide the support and career progression they deserve. Getting this right, in turn, has a very real impact the lives of children and families.
Keen to know more?
Reach out! You can get Christo directly at talent@futuro.nsw.edu.au or check out our careers page!