Voices Leading the Conversation

Dr. Jörg Dräger studied Physics and Economics in Hamburg and New York. After his graduation, he worked for Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in Frankfurt/Main. He returned to Hamburg as CEO of the Northern Institute of Technology. From 2001 to 2008 Dr. Dräger took office as Hamburg’s Minister of Science and Research. In addition, he was a member of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs and a deputy member of the German Bundesrat. From 2008 till the end of 2021 he was a member of the Executive Board at the Bertelsmann Foundation and CEO of the Center for Higher Education Development. Dr. Dräger was first appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Kühne Foundation in 2008 and has been additionally its Executive Director since 2022.

Swati is the Country Director for Khan Academy India. Swati has 31 yrs of diverse experience in for-profit and not-for-profit across several countries in South Asia, Far-East, China, and India and 11 yrs in the US. Prior to Khan Academy she has served as the COO for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation India, set up a grad school, Indian School of Public Policy as their founding CEO, advised several startups including EdTechs, and served on boards of educational institutions. She has worked for McKinsey, Sleep Number Company, SYSCO, and with Schlumberger as a field engineer on oil-rigs. Swati is an engineer by training with a BTech from IIT Delhi and an MBA from Chicago Booth.

Paul Blackstone is Managing Partner of SummitLearn, a specialist strategy consultancy
to the global learning sector, advising investors, founders and management teams on
growth strategy, commercial model design, and operational performance.
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He brings 25+ years of operating and investing experience across Asia, Europe, MENA,
and the Americas. As CEO of Pearson Asia's largest education unit WSE, he scaled the
China business to 65,000 students and +$250M in revenue, culminating in a successful
sale to a private equity consortium.
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Paul also serves as Chair of CURIOO Limited in Hong Kong and Advisor to Magistra
Schools in Dubai, and earlier founded ChannelEnglish, one of the first online language
learning companies globally.

Jaspal Sidhu spent nearly 30 years working across Indonesia as an engineer before establishing high-quality, affordable schools. Today, he leads the SIS & Inspirasi Group operating schools across multiple price points in major and emerging cities across Indonesia and beyond. The Group’s successful journey has been through strategic partnerships with the World Bank Group and private equity funds. It has received numerous international accolades, including one from the Financial Times & World Bank Group for its transformational work in education.

Claudia Zeisberger is a Professor at INSEAD and one of the most well-connected figures in the private capital space, with over 35 years of experience in financial markets. She founded INSEAD’s Global Private Equity Initiative (GPEI), shaping the school’s global reputation in private equity and venture capital, and has been widely recognized for her teaching excellence, winning INSEAD’s Best Teaching Award for her Private Equity elective three years in a row.
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An active investor across startups, private equity, and venture funds, Claudia also advises boards, leadership teams, and governments, often describing herself as a “Professional Devil’s Advocate.” She serves on advisory boards including Standard Chartered Ventures, Linzor Capital, Kaizenvest, and S4Learning, and is a founding member of KKR’s Sustainability Expert Advisory Council.
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Claudia is also the founder of 5 Quadrants, a research and risk advisory firm, and the author of the best-selling book Mastering Private Equity. A sought-after speaker at the intersection of finance, innovation, and risk, she brings seasoned judgment, candour, and a global perspective to every platform she engages with.

As President and CEO of the National Center on Education and the Economy, Dr. Vicki Phillips works with states and nations to build education systems that champion young people’s potential. A former teacher, superintendent, state chief, and foundation leader, Vicki has long believed we must think differently about teaching and learning—grounded in evidence and designed for possibility. From a small Kentucky farm to global policy tables, her life has been shaped by education’s power to change trajectories. She leads with urgency, optimism, and an unwavering belief that every young person deserves a future full of purpose and hope.

Noam Gerstein is the founder and CEO of bina, an AI-powered, profoundly human global school serving families daily in over 50 countries, growing 44% QoQ, NPS ~87, Cambridge-accredited, with a clear path to $116M ARR at 10k students. bina's leadership team includes Stanford AI-in-Ed experts, a post-exit CTO, CRO, and herself. Before bina, Noam bootstrapped and sold a seven-figure ops business, managed 150+ people, conducted boots-on-the-ground primary-systems research globally, and led NGO operations and fundraising.

Phil Psilos is a higher education, workforce, and innovation expert, building analytics and advising leaders on AI readiness, resilience, and reimagining as Founder of Qualis Education and Head of Consulting for the Mekong Capabilities Lab in Hanoi. A Deloitte alumni, he has led U.S. efforts to align higher education and innovation ecosystems in the Philippines and Vietnam, advised U.S. governors on technology industry development, and facilitated blended education finance in Africa. He holds degrees from Johns Hopkins and the LSE.

Sheinal Bhuralal is the Co-founder of Agora Colearning, a vibrant community that goes beyond being a preschool, student care, or enrichment centre. Agora brings together physical spaces, programmes, and technology to empower families and help children learn, develop, and thrive, with parents staying connected every step of the way.

Previously, Sheinal served as Senior Portfolio Director at JG Digital Equity Ventures (JG DEV), the venture capital arm of JG Summit, where he led investments in fintech, supply chain, new retail, and e-commerce. His career spans leadership roles in financial services and fintech.

He holds an MBA from MIT (Sloan Fellow), a PGD in Finance from the London School of Economics, an M.Sc. in Chemistry from King’s College London, and is a CFA Charterholder.

Shanti Jagannathan is Director, Education, with Asian Development Bank and has over 25 years of experience in international cooperation programs in education. She leads education policy and strategy work, providing support to ADB’s technical assistance programs and lending operations in education. Her work engagements have been in over 30 countries in Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and North America. She has over 20 publications including books (‘Powering a Learning Society in an Age of Disruption’, ‘Skills Development for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in Developing Asia-Pacific’, recently) and publications such as ADB Playbook on Climate Change and Education launched in COP29, ADB’s guidance note on COVID-19 and Education in Asia and the Pacific, studies on implications of the fourth industrial revolution on skills and jobs, and a joint publication with LinkedIn on digital jobs. Her recent work includes AI in education, innovative financing partnerships in education, studies on green skills in emerging occupations and research parks and innovation in higher education. She is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Jobs and Frontier Technologies and a member of the advisory group of TVET and skills experts of FCDO and 3ie.

Ivan Kwong is a Director in KKR’s Global Impact team and leads its education and edtech coverage in Asia Pacific. He currently serves on the boards of PHINMA Education (a leading SEA higher education group focused on low and mid income students), Education Perfect (a global edtech B2B SaaS platform providing personalised content, assessments and actionable insights) and EQuest (a leading diversified education group in Vietnam). He started his career at UBS and Bain & Company, across Sydney and Singapore.

He received a Bachelor of Engineering (Aerospace) and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney (University Medal) and an MBA from the Wharton School (Palmer Scholar).

Jiadi Yu is the Chief Investment Officer for the Asia Pacific Region at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), based in Hong Kong.  Ms. Yu has extensive experience investing in education platforms, including higher education, technical and vocational training, and digital learning providers. Her work focuses on scaling private sector solutions that improve learning outcomes, enhance employability, and support inclusive, job-relevant skills in rapidly evolving economies.  Ms. Yu has previously managed equity and debt financing in the manufacturing and consumer services sectors from IFC’s headquarters in Washington D.C. Before joining IFC, she worked in the Capital Markets Department at the World Bank in Washington D.C.  Ms. Yu holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Renmin University of China.

Shahera (Sherry) Youssef Younes is Senior Director of Economic Opportunity at FHI 360, where she leads the organization's global strategy and portfolio on economic resilience inclusive of human capital development, workforce systems, youth employment, enterprise growth and financial inclusion. With nearly three decades of experience across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, she has designed and led large-scale initiatives with governments, multilateral development banks, foundations, and Fortune 500 companies to prepare people for the future of work. A recognized leader in public-private partnerships and market systems, Shahera works at the intersection of education, skills, AI, and economic opportunity—helping shape innovative, evidence-driven solutions that expand workforce resilience, strengthen learning-to-earning pathways, and drive inclusive human economic mobility.

Angela Chen-Delantar is an education entrepreneur in Southeast Asia and currently serves as Vice-President at the Wadhwani Foundation, where she is establishing the foundation’s presence to upskill one million learners in the Philippines by 2030. As co-founder of Eskwelabs, she launched thousands of careers in data and digital work through half a million hours of live, cohort-based learning. Her work bridges education, employment, and economic mobility. Angela began her career in investing with a Finance degree from the University of Toronto. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Education at Harvard University. A Forbes 30 Under 30 Awardee and Acumen Fellow, Angela’s work focuses on bridging capital, capability and culture.

Oliver Anderson is Founder and Managing Director of ASK Consulting in Jakarta, advising K-12 school owners, boards and investors on strategy, governance, growth and M&A. He brings 25+ years of international leadership experience across education, investment, operations and cross-border transactions. In Indonesia, Oliver works with school groups on market positioning, operational improvement, deal readiness and sustainable value creation. His focus is practical: sharper decisions, stronger systems and education businesses built to grow without losing sight of students and families.

Shoaib Raza is Director of Digital Learning & Entrepreneurship at Nexus International School Singapore, part of Taylor's Schools Group. He leads strategy at the intersection of AI, entrepreneurship and cognitive science, helping schools develop the human capabilities needed for an age of intelligent systems. He is co-author of Timeless Learning, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and an international speaker on digital maturity, responsible AI and the future of learning.

Lim Ben-Jie is Chief People & Partnerships Officer at AirAsia MOVE, leading the company’s people strategy and global partnerships across supply, distribution and technology. Since joining AirAsia in 2015, he has held key leadership roles, including Chief of Staff to Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, with experience spanning people, partnerships and go-to-market strategy. Ben-Jie holds a degree in Finance and Economics and has been recognised as a Future 50 Emerging Marketeer by The Drum and an Obama Foundation Leader.

Andrew is the founder and leader of Tau, the corporate learning arm of Taylor's, designing and delivering tech-enabled learning solutions to enterprise clients across Southeast Asia.

He believes in the power of human-centered, technology-enabled learning — and in its ability to unlock the potential of individuals and their organizations. Andrew's team of educators, technologists, consultants, and coaches at Tau share this conviction.

Over the past 15+ years, Andrew has helped 200,000+ learners and 100+ organizations on 6 continents to articulate and achieve their talent goals, as the founding leader of 3 learning businesses and as a consultant.

Previously, Andrew led McKinsey’s Transformation Academy as an Associate Partner with McKinsey & Company, New York. He also founded and led Excelerate, a corporate learning firm based in Kuala Lumpur and specializing in technology skills.

As Pro-Vice Chancellor Academic at Taylor’s University Professor Bagnall is leading the University’s 2025-2035 teaching strategy. Bagnall has developed a “Position Statement on the use of Artificial Intelligence” that has been adopted by Taylor’s University, framing AI capability as a core element of graduate preparedness and encourages students and staff to use AI whenever they can. Taylor’s is rapidly adopting AI in teaching and learning, but is also creating learning experience that focusses on human interaction.

Dr. Rina Lai works at the intersection of research, educational innovation, and technology. She is the founder of SynergisED, a R&D lab dedicated to shaping the future of education, and co-founder of the Cambridge China Education Forum. She earned her PhD from the University of Cambridge, and continues to serve as a Visiting Scholar. An elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a school governor within the English Schools Foundation (ESF) international network, she serves as a trusted advisor to start-ups, multinational corporations, non-profits, and government committees on building future-ready learning ecosystems.

Anip is Co-Founder of a K–12 education platform whose flagship, The Perse School (Singapore), has become the fastest-growing international school launch in Singapore in the past decade. In his previous life, before becoming an entrepreneur, Anip was the Founding Partner of LEK's Global Education Practice and has over two decades, advised leading education organisations worldwide on growth, strategy, and educational quality.

Akshay Chaturvedi is the Founder & CEO of Leverage Edu, an AI-native global talent mobility & upskilling platform, helping ambitious students and skilled professionals from emerging markets access education, careers, and life across borders, with a 360-degree stack across financial services, housing, travel, and more. Under his leadership, Leverage Edu has grown into a 1,500+ people organisation spread across 40 countries, running at a $75 million revenue run rate, making it one of the fastest-growing companies today with 100% YoY growth over the last couple of years. An ISB graduate and Board Member, Akshay is also a Fellow of St. George's House, Windsor Castle, a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Prime Minister's Champions of Change, and spends time at multiple for-heart initiatives like BFG for dog care and Padho India for education.

Born in Milano, Italy, March 27th, 1963. After graduating from Bocconi University and a period of research in Luxury Fashion in Paris, started a fast career in Luxury Marketing with L’Oreal and CT Couture in Paris (France) for 3 years, and then Head of Marketing for Ermenegildo Zegna in Barcelona (Spain) for 3 years, and Italy. Founded the first Promotional Company ever in Italy, then the first Financial Marketing company in Italy and in India. Extensively traded in textiles between China, India, and Europe, and then promoted a kids luxury fashion brand. A serial entrepreneur, built companies in Italy, Spain, China and India. Avid traveller, windsurf instructor, diving instructor, extreme skier, ranked tennis player. Acts as President of Italian Chamber of Commerce in India (IICCI) after 6 years as Board Member, sits on the Advisory Board of the SME Chamber of India, and the International Advisory Board of IRM (Institute of Risk Management). Promoted and launched Wonderchef, a joint venture with Sanjeev Kapoor, the Indian celebrity chef. Promoted and launched SDA Bocconi Asia Center, the world’s only offshore presence of 120 years old Università Bocconi (Europe’s #1 Business School by 2023 rankings), and its pan Asian hub. He has been acting as the Managing Director of SDA Bocconi AC, Mumbai since its inception in 2012. Promoted and manages Vaishali S Couture, the only Indian woman designer ever invited to showcase at the Paris Haute Couture, and the Milan Fashion Week.

Mike is the Founder and Managing Director at EdTech Asia, an EdTech and education market intelligence, business development and research services firm specializing in emerging markets throughout Asia and the south-south corridor. Mike also serves as an International Development Consultant for UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP and USAID. Mike holds a Master of Education degree from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Colorado.

I lead the Learning Team at Horizon Education Indonesia, the Indonesian unit of PHINMA Education. We design curricula and learning experiences that build technical expertise and core workplace competencies while equipping students with the skills they need to thrive in university. We also train and evaluate faculty to effectively deliver lessons using active learning methods. Together, we help ensure every student has the knowledge, skills, and support needed to succeed in school, work, and life.

Gurdeep Gosal is a Principal at Roland Berger with over 10 years of experience in Southeast Asia, where he has led more than 150 commercial due diligence and value creation projects for private equity and strategic investors. His work focuses on the education and consumer sectors, helping clients assess opportunities, drive post-deal growth, and unlock portfolio value. Gurdeep was educated at INSEAD and the London School of Economics (LSE).

Pacifique brings over a decade of leadership experience building and scaling pathways for entrepreneurs across Africa, spanning international development, social enterprise, and impact investing. He helped scale MindLeaps across Rwanda and supported Inkomoko's expansion into four East African countries, mobilizing over $100M in capital for local and displaced entrepreneurs. Today, he leads Kumwe Hub, Save the Children International's innovative finance arm, investing in early-stage, locally-led enterprises that deliver child-focused services; continuing to prove that overlooked markets are investable, and that driving quality outcomes for children can be a viable business.

Cris Ngo currently works at PHINMA Education. PHINMA Education is a fast-growing network of educational institutions located in key cities across the Philippines and Indonesia. Its mission is to make lives better by providing quality education to underserved youth not just in the Philippines but also in Southeast Asia. As Chief Operating Officer for Learning, Cris focuses on designing and delivering learning solutions and programs that cater to the needs and aspirations of underserved, first-generation college students.

Amy is Chief Ecosystem Engagement Officer at AVPN, bringing nearly two decades of experience in the impact sector. She leads AVPN’s Ecosystem Engagement strategy across philanthropy, corporates and impact investing, strengthening member engagement, mobilising capital and building strategic partnerships that advance AVPN’s mission. Previously, she led social enterprise strategy at raiSE and helped establish the Social Enterprise Association in Singapore. Amy holds a BA (Honours) in Psychology from the University of Queensland, Australia, and has volunteered in Indonesia.

As CEO of ETS, Amit Sevak leads one of the world’s leading education and talent solutions organizations, serving 30 million learners each year.  ETS stands at the forefront of advancing the science of measurement to power human progress and has increased its capabilities through the acquisitions of PSI and ACT, expanding opportunities for learners, educators, employers, and credentialing organizations. He previously led the University of Europe in Madrid, INTI International University in Malaysia, and Universidad Tecnológica de México (UNITEC) and founded Mindset Global. He holds degrees from the University of Chicago, Harvard Business School and is a Henry Luce Foundation Scholar.

Edgar Chua serves as an independent director to various organisations, including PHINMA Corporation, Ayala Corporation, First Gen, Shell Philippines, PAL Holdings and Philcement.

Previously, he held various positions at Shell, serving as the Chairman and President of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum from 2003 to 2017 and as the Country Chairman of Shell companies in the Philippines from 2003 to 2016.

Previously, he held various positions at Shell, serving as the Chairman and President of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum from 2003 to 2017 and as the Country Chairman of Shell companies in the Philippines from 2003 to 2016.

Ratnesh Jha is General Manager of Institutional Language Products at ETS, leading global strategy for TOEIC®, TOEFL ITP®, and the TOEFL® Young Student Series. He oversees product, operations, marketing, distribution, and sales, supporting education and workforce outcomes worldwide. With 20+ years of leadership experience, Ratnesh previously held executive roles at Burlington Group and Cambridge University Press, following earlier positions at GE Capital and Citibank. He holds degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru University and Cambridge, and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.