Study Group announces the appointment of a new Chair of the Board

Study Group is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Chair of the Board, Paul Lester CBE.

Paul is a successful businessman with an executive background as CEO of Graseby, Group MD of Balfour Beatty and CEO of VT Group. He began his Chair career with John Laing Infrastructure and the global engineering company Essentra, as well as other FTSE 250 companies such as McCarthy and Stone. More recently he has chaired a diverse range of Private Equity backed businesses, consistently and successfully working with management to deliver growth.

Paul was a visiting professor at Nottingham Trent University, where he qualified as a chartered engineer. He was also a Governor of Southampton University, and at VT Group he grew an education business which provided Modern Apprenticeships and managed a significant number of schools in the UK. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by Portsmouth University, became a Freeman of the City of London in 2006, and was made a CBE in 2007 for his services to Engineering. 

Responding to the news of his appointment, CEO Ian Crichton said, 

“We are delighted that Paul has agreed to take on the role of the Chair of Study Group as we pursue the next chapter of our development as trusted providers of high-quality international education around the world. Paul has tremendous business expertise working with globally successful companies and in building on ambitious strategies to deliver trusted results. Like me, he is also committed to the transformative impact of education on the lives and careers of young people.”

Paul Lester commented,

“I am very much looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead as I take on the role of Chair of Study Group. This British-based company has a great track-record of providing a high-quality education to young people from around the world, and in preparing them to succeed in their degrees and on into their careers. I am confident that at a time of significant global potential and diversification in international education, Study Group will build on its heritage to innovate and seize opportunities for growth. I look forward to working with it’s excellent team to deliver on this.”

Paul Lester will take up the role of Chair of Study Group on 1 October 2025.