Rob Kairuz

Rob was mostly raised in Hollywood, Florida, having lived in 26 states growing up. Currently, he resides in sunny Gainesville, Florida with his daughter, Kali, wife, Diana, and cherished doggie, Sadie. He got his start in the hospitality industry, navigating sales and customer service roles with Royal Caribbean International. Later, he shifted gears to account management for a small pharmaceutical firm in NYC.

Recently, Rob undertook the role of a career coach at the University of Florida, guiding students in arts, communications, media, and marketing. As a proud Double Gator, he holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in English and a Master’s of Science in Business Management, both earned at the University of Florida. Driven by a passion for meaningful work, Rob finds himself at Merit America, embracing the mission-driven work they champion.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Rob loves reading science fiction and fantasy literature. Favorites include the Red Rising series, Ender’s Game, The Three-Body Problem Trilogy, Fourth Wing Series, The Stormlight Archive, and the Kingkiller series.  Rob delights in exploring new destinations with his loved ones and he boasts the palate of a five year old, considering himself a connoisseur of cheeseburgers, burritos, and chicken nuggets. He believes that Batman is the world’s greatest superhero and that Bad  Bunny is the greatest. Greater than Taylor Swift. He loves Netflix rom-com movie nights with his wife with a lot of snacks, and loves quoting catchphrases from professional wrestlers such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and the Macho Man Randy Savage. And as a newly formed plant enthusiast, he tends to three plants at home, and incredibly, they thrive under his care!