Our Leadership Team

Nilay Özral
Chief Executive Officer

Nilay Özral joined Bloom Education in January 2019 as the Chief Executive Officer.
Nilay is responsible for the management and operations of Bloom Education’s UAE Charter Schools and New Generation Schools awarded to Bloom Education by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Education (ADEK) and The Emirates Schools Establishment (ESE). Nilay is also responsible for the development for Bloom Education’s ‘own-brand’ premium IB school Bloom World Academy and nursery portfolio.
Prior to joining Bloom Education, Nilay was the CEO of Aldar Academies from 2014, where she was responsible for developing their educational portfolio from 1,200 student to over 16,000 students during her eight-year tenure. In addition to overseeing Aldar Academies, during 2010 – 2013, Nilay successfully managed a number of Aldar’s major
assets, including the final delivery and operations of the seven hotels on Yas Island, Yas and Al Bandar Marinas, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Yas Links Golf Club. Before that, she was the Strategic Planning Director at Sorouh.
Nilay has over 30 years of strategic management and leadership experience in some of the world’s leading multinational companies.
Nilay holds an MBA from Manchester Business School and attended numerous strategic and leadership programmes at The University of Texas and University Washington in the US and The Esade Business School in Barcelona.

Craig Dennis Lamshed
General Manager ‑ Brighton Colleges

Craig has more than 30 years’ experience in the education sector, with more than 25 years as an educational leader across a variety of curriculum and settings, including Australian, International Baccalaureate, American, and UK curriculum schools across Australia, Africa, Egypt, Malaysia, Qatar and the UAE. His experience spans both government and private sectors, including leading programs to improve both education and business standards.
Prior to joining Bloom Education in 2022, he has held other senior roles including Country Director and Director of Education within the Middle East Region. Craig has extensive experience in all areas of education, including student learning, curriculum development, principal and teacher performance, pedagogy, HR, finance, facilities, school review, policies and procedures, marketing, community engagement and strategic planning.
He has a Masters of School Leadership (Education), Graduate Diploma in Education, and Bachelor of Applied Science from Monash University, Victoria, Australia. In addition, he has completed a strategic leadership course from Said Business School, University of Oxford.

Ashley Dymoke
Head of Marketing and Communication

Ashley is a senior marketeer with over 20 years’ experience in developing strategic marketing and communications, with over 10 years of experience in launching new brands to market across commercial, residential, entertainment and education sectors.
Prior to joining Bloom Education in 2020, Ashley was the Director of Marketing and Communications for Aldar Academies, where he was responsible for its re-branding and the marketing and communications across their portfolio of schools and their subsequent positioning in the market during his eight-year tenure.
In addition to Aldar Academies, during 2005 to 2012, Ashley successfully developed brands and marketing communications for numerous Aldar projects including Yas Island, Yas Hotel, Yas links Golf Club, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Al Raha Beach. He also played the lead role in the re-branding of Aldar, the result of which was the highly acclaimed and recognisable brand that stands today.
He is currently responsible for creating, implementing and measuring the success of a comprehensive annual marketing, communications and public relations strategy for Bloom Educations portfolio of International brands and the development of its own brand schools and nurseries.
Ashley holds a BA (HONS) Degree in Visual Communication and Design from Middlesex University in London.

Gary De Leon
Technical Services Manager

Gary brings over two decades of extensive experience in property operations, facility management, and development projects. He oversees the operations and support services of all Bloom Education School including planning, management, and implementation of all capital projects.
Prior to joining Bloom Education he was the Director of Engineering at Fairmont Hotels and had been involved in the pre-opening of 3 luxury hotels in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Manila. Since joining Bloom Education in 2017 he has contributed to the successful opening of Brighton College Dubai and Dwight School Dubai, in addition to 4 ADEK Charter Schools.
Gary is a registered Mechanical Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Diploma in Project and Business Management, and Certificate in Executive Leadership from Mapua Institute of Technology, European University College Brussels, and Cornell University

Irfan Siddiqui
Head of Procurement

Irfan joined Bloom Education in June 2019 as Head of Procurement. Irfan is responsible for all purchasing activities across Bloom Education and works closely with the school and central leadership to manage budgets, costs, and projects while keeping the procurement process strategic, cost-effective, and value driven.
Irfan has over 14yrs of experience in Procurement which span various sectors including projects, asset management, education, advertising, hospitality, and retail. Prior to working in Education, Irfan was part of the Procurement Team of a leading Abu Dhabi Development company and managed the Procurement for one the largest portfolios in hospitality, construction, retail, and education in the MENA region. Irfan holds an MCIPS certification from the Charter Institute of Purchasing and Supply, an MBA, and an MSc in Supply Chain Management and Logistics from Heriot-Watt University.