EF Education First

If you spend any time with Ming Chen (likely over a run or a cold brew coffee), you will probably leave with some advice like this:

In honor of International Day of Happiness, we asked our senior leaders "What has kept you excited to come into work every day?" Spoiler alert, it is no surprise that they all said the people. Thank you to our senior leaders featured: Lori van Dam, Kanami Ono, Ming Chen, maiko itami, Iris Hormann, Heidi Durflinger #WeAreEF

↘ 1968: Hiring the first accountant     Story 6/60    60 stories for 60 years       Christer Fagersten, a good-natured accountant, had just earned his degree and gotten married. After spending one night in his new Finnish apartment, he received a call from Bertil, who urgently needed an accountant in Lund.     “It’s a week of work,” Bertil said.     Christer arrived the next morning. Bertil showed him EF’s growing office, explaining how the language travel business had expanded from Sweden to Finland, Norway, and Denmark, with plans for more. There were now 16 employees.     Handing Christer a large trash bag full of receipts, Bertil tasked him with preparing the taxes. Christer joked about the "brilliant filing system" and began sorting the mess, laying receipts on the floor while thinking about the accounts ledger and year-end statements he’d need to create.     At ten o’clock, a bell rang for a tea break. The staff gathered for tea and snacks, chatting and laughing about recent work adventures. Christer enjoyed the warm camaraderie of the office and admired Bertil’s relentless work ethic.     A week turned into two, then three months. Christer called his wife to join him. One day at lunch, Bertil said, “Why don’t you just move here—and stay?” Christer never returned to his Finnish apartment.     A week of work became 19 years.     “Nobody could predict what Bertil’s company would become,” Christer said. “Of all the accountants, he called me. I was the lucky one.”     (Amended from the original version published in “Our Story” in 2014 to celebrate EF’s 50th anniversary)        #WeAreEF #EF60  

Meet Ming, Lori, Iris, maiko, Heidi, and Kanami—some of the senior leaders across the globe at EF! Today we’ll learn how long they’ve worked here and what their first ever role was. Stay tuned for more advice, tips, and career path stories! #WeAreEF

Working for a company that encourages exploration, growth, and fun has changed my life for the better! In the short time that I've worked for EF, I have visited 5 new countries. May that number continue rising :) 💬 Mickie Amézquita 💡Partnerships Manager, EF Study Abroad 📍Austin office 📷 Mexico City #WeAreEF #EFEverywhere

Entrepreneurial spirit is one of our core values, and the EF Language Abroad Entrepreneurial Summit is just one great example of how this comes to life.   Employees are challenged to come up with creative and bold ideas for EF. The winning team receives funding to bring their project to life.   "This competition is so special because any employee, no matter their seniority or team, has the chance to innovate and make a real impact. It’s opportunities like this that keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive at EF and make this such a collaborative, growth-focused company to be a part of." - Michaela, member of the 2025 winning team alongside Ramona, Silvia, Jenny, and Linda.   Photographed by: Mark #WeAreEF 

Nothing like Edward Hult delivering an afternoon snack on light up roller skates for Employee Appreciation Day #weareef

How do we select partners for our Service Learning programs? Our 10-year partnership with The Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development is the perfect example.   The AASD was founded in 2010 to tackle malnutrition in the high Andes by building community greenhouses. Their work has grown to preserve traditional agricultural practices, provide sustainable income streams, and reverse the outward flow of people to the cities.   “Partnering with mission-driven organizations is at the heart of our service learning philosophy. The AASD are a group of intelligent, creative, committed educators and community organizers with a deep love for what they do and the communities they work with in Peru.” - Jennifer, Director of Market Development, EF Educational Tours   Through our work together, we have provided volunteering opportunities to 500 EF travelers.   ↘ Read more about our partnership here: https://lnkd.in/dRS6MRu9 #WeAreEF #EFImpact

EF Go Ahead Tours launched "Tours for Women" on International Women's Day. These new tours come on the back of an overwhelming demand for female-only travel options revealed in recent market research EF Go Ahead Tours conducted in partnership with Qualtrics. Check out the trends below ⬇️ “We have heard from women who love to travel but hesitate to go alone, and from others who have traveled solo but miss the magic of shared experiences," said Heidi Durflinger, CEO, EF World Journeys USA, operator of EF Go Ahead Tours. "These Tours for Women fill that gap. I know firsthand how transformative it can be to discover a new place surrounded by other women who lift each other up. There is something incredibly powerful about creating opportunities where women can be both courageous and authentically themselves while traveling together." The seven new Tours for Women include Italy, UK & Ireland, Spain & Portugal, Greece, Thailand, Peru, and Egypt. These destinations were chosen by women, for women, based on a poll conducted of thousands of women. Each itinerary is thoughtfully crafted to highlight women-run businesses, female artisans, and important historical and contemporary female figures. Each tour will be led by expert female Tour Directors. ↘ Read press release: https://lnkd.in/erq5C-ES ↘ Learn more about the tours: https://lnkd.in/e7PrWXXB #WeAreEF #TravelTrends #TravelIndustry