Meet Tyler Kusunoki, our Service Head at Crimson Education Japan!
Tyler is an amazing teacher / coach / mentor to not only our students, but our staff here at Crimson, and I'm super excited to share his views about leadership and working at Crimson through this interview!
Before we dive in, here's a quick glance at Tyler's overall profile.

About Tyler

• Nikkei-American background, raised in the US and Hong Kong.
• Over 15 years of experience in guiding students to top universities, including Ivy League, UC schools, MIT, Oxford, and Cambridge
• Master’s Degree in Education from Columbia University
• Bachelor’s Degree from Carleton College, a top 10 liberal arts college in the US
• Expert in strategic planning for overseas university admissions

As noted above, Tyler has been working in the education industry for 15+ years.
Read below for a deep-dive into why he thought of joining Crimson Education after many years of experience.

What were the reasons and motivations behind your decision to change jobs?
There were a couple different reasons behind my desire to change jobs. One was to seek out an organization that would provide me with the opportunities, resources, and team to develop as a leader in the field of education. The work that I was previously engaged with was difficult to scale, and I was seeking an organization where expertise, culture, and vision were more aligned. I also wanted a greater opportunity to work with more local Japanese families. Much of my previous work specialized in working with international school families here in Japan. While this was and continues to be satisfying and I love the families from this background that I work with, I wanted more opportunities to make an impact on students attending local schools, which often lack the resources to really support students who are aiming to study abroad. I firmly believe that an international education can open so many doors for students, not just in terms of career prospects, but in terms of their own confidence and self-actualization. I was seeking an organization and opportunity where I could build and empower a team to make a real, lasting difference for students and families who really want to explore the possibility of studying abroad but do not know where to start. 

What made you choose to work at Crimson?
The opportunity to work with people who had a shared vision for what education can become in Japan, and the opportunity to develop initiatives that helped to realize that vision. Before I joined, I had an opportunity to come and meet the entire team, and the openness and clear sense of commitment and culture that was present in those meetings made it clear to me that this was a place where finding the specific, best solution for individual students and families is an absolute priority. I also wanted to work in a space where I would have access to greater, global resources and wisdom to develop as a professional in this field of work as well, and Crimson has collected both the personnel and data from its thousands of student cases to allow me to receive mentorship and develop new insights, even after 15+ years in this industry. 

Taking on New Opportunities at Crimson must have come with challenges.
What was your first challenge in your new workplace?
One of the first challenges was adjusting to the amount of technology that Crimson incorporates. As an EdTech company, there are many systems, software, and procedures that Crimson utilizes to ensure good data hygiene and a high level of personalization for its clients. Learning how to utilize all of these tools quickly and efficiently and establish new workflows and technology habits was definitely an initial challenge for me. 

What new skills or knowledge have you gained through your work at Crimson?
In addition to those technology skills, and learning how to more effectively organize and analyze data through Excel and Metabase, the most important skills that I have gained have largely been in the realm of people development and management. Working with students and families is one thing, managing a team towards better outcomes, especially within the larger constraints of budget, has helped me to become more structured and creative with my approach. The ability to take on new projects hsa taught me a lot about how to successfully plan and launch new initiatives within a larger existing structure. I have also gained more exposure to new and different perspectives on college admissions through Crimson’s extensive network of experts, former admissions officers, and other strategists. 

How has your sense of job fulfillment and goals changed after switching jobs?
The scope of who I impact has grown significantly. Where before my primary focus was to ensure that my direct students and parents were satisfied, this position has challenged me to channel that to a larger team, which in turn has allowed me to gain greater fulfillment because I can now see how my passions and values can scale outwards to affect not just students, but other strategists and team members as well. So in that sense, the ambition I have for my job and what I feel can be accomplished has expanded considerably. 

Do you feel that you now have more opportunities to leverage your strengths than before?
Absolutely. While there will always be competing priorities and areas in which I need to grow, I feel like this position allows me to leverage many of my strengths and years of experience to really serve a large community. 

Are there moments when you feel that you can make a greater impact through this career change?Yes. As mentioned, the shared vision and passion that the team has and the clear needs that Japan has for a different, better model of education means that I always know that more can be done. The difference now is that I have optimism that these goals can be achieved here at Crimson. It will take time, and there are many moments where we cannot meet the specific needs of a particular student or family that make it clear that we can keep improving, that “the best” can always be better. But I think in this new position, the only thing that is limiting is time and budget. Where before I would dismiss certain opportunities as impossible from my position and resources, that is no longer the case. I am able to truly view every challenge as an opportunity and potential to do more, and I have confidence that, with the support of my team, this can be accomplished.  

We'd love to learn about your experience & career growth as a Unit Lead.
In what ways have you experienced personal and professional growth in your new workplace?
Conflict resolution has been the primary area of growth for me. As a unit lead, learning to advocate for my team and actively engage in productive conflict has been an important area of development. Within a large, global company, there will always be competing interests and priorities and a limited budget. Learning to navigate those situations and work towards positive compromise and win-win scenarios has been the greatest area of growth for me. 

As a Unit Lead, what has been your most memorable experience or achievement?
To be honest, one of my first tasks when joining was to help a direct report improve, from the verge of being let go, to the standard that we hold for all our team members. I believed in this member’s potential, and dedicated time to working with them closely to helping them understand the importance of adhering to standards and procedures. We worked closely on several client cases, which gave me the opportunity to give clear advice and structure to how they operated. Engaging with all of this, while continually advocating for him to management, was both trying and fulfilling, as within one year, they have improved to the point of being promoted. The investment in people is always a priority for me, and this was an example that I take great pride in. 

As a leader, what challenges do you and your team want to take on in the future?
Reaching more students. The goal for us is be the standard for personalised, expert education and college admissions support here in Japan. But achieving that goal also requires us extending that education to as many people, in as equitable a way, as possible. Continuing to provide uncommon, deeply personalized service to each student and family continues to be the goal, but to do so in a way that covers all possible aspects of their education process and journey, is the goal. 

Looking ahead, what are your career plans and goals for the future?
To continue to help Crimson Japan launch new initiatives that will expand its reach and impact on students and families in Japan, and to recruit and build a team that is invested in making that happen.

Do you have any advice for those considering a job change?
Meet the people you will be working with. I think that this was the number one factor for me to consider Crimson. Always be proactive about asking to interact with the people you will be working closely with, not just the hiring manager, as that will give you a clearer sense of the community and team that you will be a part of. 

Please share your message for those thinking about joining Crimson!
Crimson is a place that rewards and demands both hard work and creativity. If you are interested in becoming part of a team that shares a passion for education, and want an environment where you will be challenged to constantly grow in your knowledge and expertise and become part of an organization that is always seeking new ways to redefine learning, we would love to have you on our team. 

Thank you Tyler for the interview, and for all of you who read it till the end!
I can say that it’s an absolute pleasure working with Tyler, and it's always inspiring to hear his deep perspective on service and seeing ongoing collaboration in localizing. I hope that those of you interested in working at Crimson Education get a chance to speak with him, too!