Chantel Matheson
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Director — Education Growth & Strategy

Chantel Matheson

Driving school growth, enrolment strategy & multi-campus operations across the MENA region.

Dubai, UAE Australian 15+ Years
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Chantel Matheson
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01

Executive
Summary

Senior marketing, enrolment and operations leader with more than 15 years of experience driving growth across premium international school groups in the UAE and GCC.

Proven expertise in launching new schools, scaling admissions departments, and delivering enrolment growth in competitive education markets. Experienced managing multi-million AED marketing and operational budgets, leading large regional teams, and optimising school capacity through data-driven marketing, admissions and customer-experience strategies.

Leadership Scope

0+ International Schools
across MENA
0+ Student Enrolments
Supported
0+ Regional Staff
Led
AED0M+ Marketing Budget
Directed Annually
02

Strategic
Impact

0%
Reduction in cost-per-acquisition through digital optimisation
0K+
Prospective parent enquiries generated annually
0K+
Student population growth delivered across education entities
AED 0M+
Annual savings by restructuring outsourced marketing spend
0%
Reduction in cost-per-lead through campaign optimisation
CRM
Implemented admissions reporting systems improving conversion
GCC
Led successful school launches, acquisitions and complex closure transitions
UAE Qatar Egypt Saudi Arabia Abu Dhabi Dubai Al Ain UAE Qatar Egypt Saudi Arabia Abu Dhabi Dubai Al Ain
03

Professional
Experience

Liwa Education

Director of Marketing & Enrolments

2023 – 2026
Abu Dhabi & Al Ain 4 Schools 4 Nurseries 8,000+ Students
  • Built central marketing department from the ground up — recruitment, training & development
  • Reduced CPA by 47% and CPL by 38% through digital campaign optimisation
  • Delivered annual cost savings exceeding AED 3M by strengthening in-house capability
  • Managed integrated marketing budgets exceeding AED 5M annually
  • Led branding strategy for Liwa's expansion into Dubai
  • Led and developed teams of 50+ marketing and admissions professionals
  • Implemented new policies, procedures, workflow structures and reporting frameworks across marketing and admissions
  • Led international recruitment campaigns for HR to increase calibre of global teacher applicants
  • Led branding strategy and market positioning for Liwa's expansion into Dubai including research and consultant collaboration
  • Implemented CRM lead tracking and reporting systems improving admissions workflows
  • Directed digital and social campaigns resulting in significant increases in followers, reach and engagement

Taaleem

Head of Business Operations

2020 – 2023
United Arab Emirates 2 Premium Schools AED 20M+ Budget
  • Promoted from Admissions Manager to Head of Business Operations within five months
  • Increased enrolments by 134 students outside peak enrolment periods
  • Managed operational and capital budgets exceeding AED 20M (OPEX & CAPEX)
  • Led full operational leadership — admissions, marketing, operations, facilities & CX
  • Ensured regulatory compliance across KHDA, Health & Safety, safeguarding and data protection
  • Developed and implemented strategic operating plans aligned with long-term board priorities, establishing governance, quality assurance and performance frameworks across schools
  • Directed campus improvement programmes during annual summer development cycles to enhance facilities, service delivery and the overall parent and student experience
  • Recruited, trained and led multi-site teams including front-of-house and admissions teams, strengthening customer experience, staff engagement and retention
  • Provided strategic counsel to executive leadership translating market developments into operational policies, procedures and risk mitigation strategies
  • Guided campus leadership teams to achieve operational, financial, and enrolment KPIs while embedding a culture of accountability and continuous improvement

GEMS Education

Senior Enrolments & Marketing Manager

2017 – 2020
MENA Region 30 Schools AED 6M+ Budget 50+ Staff
  • Directed enrolment and marketing across 30 schools in UAE, Qatar, Egypt & Saudi Arabia
  • Developed regional strategies including PPC, SEO and digital acquisition campaigns
  • Egypt schools achieved five-year KPI targets within one year
  • Managed new school acquisitions — communications, marketing & operational workstreams
  • Led recruitment and management of front-of-house and admissions teams across multiple markets
  • Managed Enrolment & Marketing Managers across KSA and Egypt ensuring alignment with regional growth strategy
  • Developed business plans supporting entry into new markets and identification of expansion opportunities
  • Supported integration of GEMS lead management software across Egypt and Saudi Arabia
  • Developed partnerships with higher education institutions supporting student transition pathways
  • Conducted operational, communications and enrolment audits across schools and presented recommendations to MANCO
  • Analysed digital campaign metrics to optimise enquiry generation and enrolment conversion
  • Coordinated regional marketing campaigns and partnerships with nurseries and corporate organisations
  • Managed the KHDA Mohammed Bin Rashid Scholarship Programme for distinguished students
  • Managed marketing and enrolments budgets exceeding AED 6M across the school network

Fortes Education

Admissions & Marketing Manager

2015 – 2017
Dubai Regent International School Sunmarke School Launch
  • Played a key role in the successful launch of Sunmarke School in Dubai
  • Built pre-opening enrolment pipeline and executed school launch marketing strategy
  • Developed brand positioning and parent engagement campaigns
  • Supported strong early-stage enrolment growth following the school's opening
04

School
Portfolio

Liwa Education

Abu Dhabi & Al Ain

Directed enrolment growth and marketing strategy across four schools and four nurseries, achieving ADEK-approved capacity expansion. Led brand repositioning and premium nursery concept development while supporting Dubai expansion.

4 Schools 4 Nurseries Dubai Expansion

Taaleem

United Arab Emirates

Provided operational leadership across two premium schools overseeing admissions, marketing, operations, facilities and customer experience while delivering campus development initiatives aligned with board-level priorities.

2 Premium Schools Board-level Strategy

GEMS Education

MENA Region

Directed regional enrolment and marketing strategy across 30 schools, overseeing multi-country admissions operations, digital acquisition strategies (PPC, SEO) and strategic market analysis across UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

30 Schools 4 Countries Digital Strategy

Fortes Education

Dubai

Led admissions and marketing strategy for Regent International School and played a key leadership role in the successful launch of Sunmarke School, developing pre-opening enrolment pipelines and brand positioning.

School Launch Brand Strategy
05

Education &
Expertise

Bachelor of Early Childhood

Griffith College Brisbane

Bachelor of Hotel Management & Recreation Marketing Operations

Griffith College Brisbane

Languages

English Arabic

Core Leadership Competencies

01 Strategic Marketing & Growth Leadership
02 Admissions & Enrolment Strategy
03 Education Market Expansion
04 Budget & Financial Management
05 CRM & Data-Driven Decision Making
06 Regional Team Leadership
07 Customer Experience Strategy
08 School Launch & Expansion Planning

Let's Connect

Open to executive leadership opportunities in education growth, enrolment strategy and school operations across the GCC region.

chantel.matheson@hotmail.com +971 52 391 7773
Dubai, United Arab Emirates