Nishad Alani says he is excited to be a part of Affinity Education Group’s future as the company announces his appointment as Chief Operating Officer, effective 3 June 2024.
Most recently CEO of Retail Zoo which manages more than 900 stores, Nishad’s global career has spanned some of Australia’s favourite brands including operation including Boost Juice, Betty’s Burgers, Salsas Fresh Mex, Cibo Espresso and Starbucks.
The move to the early education sector will be, Mr Alani says, one of the most interesting of his career.
“The opportunity to be part of Australia’s early education sector does not come up often, and once I understood the model of early education Affinity is providing to Australian families through the Lifelong Learning Curriculum, and the career training and development opportunities they offer their people, I knew it was the right step,” Mr Alani said.
Affinity CEO Tim Hickey and CFO Cathy Montesin welcomed Nishad to the company at a national staff meeting held on 3 June.
“It’s vital for our executive leadership team to align with our values and our vision for early education, and I’m confident Nishad’s positive leadership approach and skills in identifying and driving clear goals will support our growth in 2024 and beyond,” Mr Hickey said.
Mr Hickey said Nishad’s strengths in building customer-centric companies and high energy approach to achieving business objectives was a key factor in the decision to welcome him to the company.
“We’re 10 years on in our journey at Affinity Education Group, having grown to our current portfolio of more than 240 early education and childcare centres around Australia,” Mr Hickey said.
“With Nishad on the team we will continue to focus on quality, safety and building the capacity of our people to manage and deliver the best early education Australian children can enjoy in their first five years.”