EWO Member Spotlight |
Dario Guescini, He/His
Director, WIL, Experiential Education & Global Mobility
George Brown College
Roles/Involvement with EWO: President-Elect 2021-2023; President 2023-2025
This month we were excited at the opportunity to connect with our incoming EWO President, Dario Guescini. If you know Dario, you know he is passionate and full of energy and dedicated to serving others through leadership and relationship building. Take a read below…
1. What do you value most about being involved with EWO?
It’s the relationships and the conversations we have that lead to collaborations. Networking and connecting with colleagues from different backgrounds and institutions, sharing best practices, developing our knowledge over the years, collaborating, and willingness to support one another. It’s also about the innovation that comes from meaningful conversations we engage with people from across the province. Understanding we all share common goals, regardless of the region and our institutional background, we all are facing the same challenges and opportunities. EWO is an avenue and opportunity for us to work together, for the benefit of our students as they transition into the workplace.
2. What have been some of your ‘ah-ha’ moments in your professional experience?
It’s definitely when I’m leading teams – the ah-ha moment and the most fulfilling and challenging moment has been learning to successfully lead teams. For example, my background is in Industrial Engineering and Human Resources, then I moved to Education as an Academic Chair – coming from an HR background and a smaller team, transitioning to leading a big team of faculty and staff – that was an ah-ha moment of how exciting and difficult that job really is. We are all unique, we all have different wants, needs, and expectations. Bringing people together is the challenging part but when you do it, magic happens. As Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” It is important to stay focused and do our best to ensure we meet our teams’ expectations and offer the best experience possible. I’ve worked in Co-op/WIL for over 10 years and have spent 15-20 years in leadership and no team is the same.
3. We work with a talented group of individuals across the province who are passionate about the work they do. What do you consider your ‘super powers’?
I’m extremely passionate. Maybe too passionate sometimes. We work with incredibly passionate people and I’m one of those! When I embark to do something, I’m passionate about it – I bring a lot of energy. For me, it’s about bringing people and ideas together, and collaborating so we can work together toward achieving a common goal. It’s about engaging people along the way, about building and, most importantly, maintaining relationships we build.
4. Who are you outside of work? Where would we find you on a weekend or holiday?
Well, I’m a father of two teenagers, 14 and 18 years. I am married, we have dog, and live in Toronto – it’s about family life. On the weekends, I love spending time at home and with friends. All my other family is back home in Argentina. I love hosting friends at my house for dinner and lunches. I love hosting events and gatherings out of my home. I also enjoy being at home to recharge, watch movies and have downtime. During COVID, I started gardening and I enjoy it very much now. Something I never did before. I’ve grown vegetables in my 4 x 15 garden. Tomatoes, cucumbers, beans – not much happened and minimal success, but I love sticking my hands in the soil – it’s so relaxing. I enjoy watching movies. Sci-Fi is my thing. My son is 18 now, but I loved watching superhero movies with him. I still love them now. I also value my vacation time and like to travel – I try to do at least one ‘nice’ trip once a year. A ‘nice’ trip is one that is new, something that I’ve planned, something exciting. I’m going to the Caribbean with my wife for the first time this fall with no kids, something we’ve never done. This past year we spent 3 weeks in Italy. It was our COVID recovery trip. Back in 2020, five days into our trip we had to come home, so this time we got the full experience. Oh and did I mention, I love drinking wine and making cocktails?
5. What advice would you give to your younger professional self?
Not to take things so seriously. Don’t worry so much. Although we can plan things and be organized, sometimes things are out of our control. How we react is what makes the difference. I would tell my younger self to not put too much pressure on myself, to enjoy the little things and sometimes go with the flow. Somehow it always works out ok.
6. What brings you satisfaction in your job?
The sense of accomplishment. What brings me satisfaction is at the end of a crazy busy day, and during my reflection, I did something that was meaningful to someone. Helping someone, working together in a team. I feel fulfilled when I have achieved something. Something that makes a difference.
7. What is one skill or area that you would like to develop or improve and why?
I would like to improve my physical health. I’ve been working at this and making a commitment to myself by going to the gym. I’m hitting up the gym 2-3 times a week and committing to myself to do more walking. No running, I hate running, I hate cardio, but looking after myself and prioritizing myself. I’m not getting any younger. (That doesn’t mean I’m giving up wine or anything though!)
8. What’s the best part of working at your institution (George Brown)?
For me, it’s always about the people that you work with. I really do enjoy the relationships that I have built over the years and how meaningful they have become in my life, both professionally and personally.
9. What are you reading, watching or listening to?
I’ve recently been introduced to The Office and it’s so funny. It’s comical and I’m enjoying it.
10. What keeps you motivated? What inspires you?