Chandra is the Founder and Chief Financial Officer of AlephYa Education, where he leads the acquisition strategy, finance, and operations across the group’s schools. He is currently focused on driving the long-term growth and vision for the organisation. In addition to his executive role, Chandra serves on the Board of Governors for the schools within the group.

With over a decade of experience in the education sector, Chandra co-founded AlephYa Education with the aim of transforming learning experiences. Prior to this, he was Senior Vice President at Lagoon Capital, a firm specializing in secondary market transactions, and backed by Qatar Insurance Company and HarbourVest. In his role at Lagoon Capital, Chandra was responsible for originating and executing secondary transactions across the Middle East and South Asia.

Chandra’s career also includes positions at QInvest, Qatar's leading investment group, and JPMorgan. He has been involved in governance and advisory roles across several organisations, holding board, investment, and management committee positions at firms such as ABEC, Intercat, Al Nakheel & AG, Ambit Corporate Finance, and Lagoon Capital.

Chandra holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore and a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur.

Hazem Abu Khalaf is a Managing Director at Gulf Capital. Mr. Abu Khalaf has over 14 years of experience in private equity with a particular focus on Healthcare and Education. He has been responsible for a number of investments across Emerging markets including the acquisition and subsequent sale of Middlesex University Dubai and an investment into Laureate Education Inc., which later went public on the NASDAQ stock exchange. More recently led Gulf Capital’s largest Private Equity deal to date, an acquisition of a 100% stake in IVI-RMA Middle East; one of the largest providers of IVF fertility treatment services in the GCC. Mr. Abu Khalaf holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (Cum Laude) from American University of Sharjah, UAE. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

Dr Pablo Fetter is an expert in education with a track record of leading both business development activities and merger & acquisition and transactions in education companies worldwide, as well as running international private education operators and serving on education companies’ Boards of Directors.

Dr Pablo brings in over three decades’ worth of experience in education, investments, and industry, and he has been a member of 16 Boards of Directors. Currently he is a member of the board and the Executive Committee, as well as the Chairman of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee of RAK Academy, Ras al Khaimah’s largest and best school chain owned by the emirate’s Sovereign Wealth Fund. He is also a member of the board and the Executive Committee of the American University of Ras al Khaimah, a private and fully accredited American university, also owned by the RAK’s Sovereign Wealth Fund. Both entities have grown significantly with Dr Pablo’s engagement.

Dr Pablo also advised multiple clients on various investment, strategic and operational projects. Tier-one global investment clients include Sequoia Capital (US/India), GIC (Singapore), Old Mutual (South Africa), Waha Capital (UAE), and NBK Capital (Kuwait/UAE); top management consulting clients include Parthenon (EY), Strategy& (Booz/PwC), BCG and McKinsey.

Previously as Capital School CEO, he led the turnaround of the company, both academically and financially: from “Satisfactory” to “Good” according to the British government’s BSO and from “Acceptable” to “Good” according to Dubai’s education regulator KHDA, as well as from declining to increasing profitability.

Colja Christian Smely is an Investment Director at the Investment and Development Office (IDO) of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. In this role, he leverages his extensive expertise in strategic and operational value creation, performance improvement, and his experience supporting numerous transactions in the European Private Equity sector to support IDO’s portfolio companies.

Colja is also a dedicated Member of the Board of Governors and Chair of the Executive Committee for RAK Academy, as well as a Member of the Board of Governors for RAK Modern Private Schools. His involvement in these institutions is focused on comprehensive strategic support and governance.

Prior to joining IDO, Colja amassed over 12 years of experience in the Private Equity field across Germany and Europe. He served as a consultant at leading firms, including Alvarez & Marsal and lately as a Director at EY-Parthenon.

Colja’s passion for education and academia is evident from his work in the field with IDO and before, having published management articles, held and supported lectures at German universities and also worked as a research assistant. He holds a B.Sc. in Business Administration from the University of Mannheim, an M.Sc. in International Management from ESADE Business School in Barcelona, and an LL.M. in Corporate Restructuring from the University of Heidelberg Law School.

Anita Gleave has spent her whole career in the independent education sector and has a B.Ed and M.Ed in educational leadership and management having worked as a teacher, Head and Principal in schools across the UK and at Director level for three international school groups.

Anita is the Founder and CEO of Chatsworth Schools, founded in 2018, which owns sixteen schools and nurseries in the UK, and the Founder and CEO of Blenheim Schools, founded in 2021, which operates international schools – notably, Beech Hall School Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Chatsworth Schools was awarded Private School Operator of the year at the 2021, and Education Provider of the Year in 2022 at the renowned Education Investor Awards. The group’s educational philosophy is proudly inclusive and lives by its founding mission of enabling outstanding futures for all its children around the world.