A range of UK and international professionals with a unique expertise in education, training and research. Our Executive Team successfully planned, developed and implemented various training, research and educational international consultancy projects. We are working in a highly diverse environments and with an exceptional degree of industry standards to bring the best results for our partners.
JOHN M SHARP, PhD, Professor
Senior Executive, Strategic Development and Implementation Expert
Professor John Sharp is a senior executive with the Strategic Centre with industry and academic expertise. Professor Sharp hep supporting universities and organisations to achieve their strategic aims and objectives through a range of management consultancy, training, implementation, and strategic partnering activities drawing on his extensive industrial and academic experience. He has taught on executive programmes in the UK and abroad and specialises in strategic development and implementation, organisational planning and implementation, regional development, people, and process development.
Professor Sharp has sixteen years of industrial experience including Rolls-Royce Aero Engines, and Unilever where he introduced new technology, manufacturing, and maintenance management systems in factories throughout the world.
John was Professor of Organisational Excellence in the Business School at Salford University, Greater Manchester, UK. Until recently he was Director of Academic Affairs at the Organisational Learning Centre (OLC), a specialist private college in Bolton, where he was responsible for all academic decisions and accreditations.
Professor Sharp is a visiting professor at several British universities and teaches on their executive MBA programmes, has delivered at conferences and guest seminars world-wide, and is internationally known for his scholarly activities. He has jointly published over 100 papers in books, journals and conference proceedings and been a co-investigator on numerous research grants.
ABRAHAM ALTHONAYAN, PhD, Professor
Senior Executive, Senior Fellow (SFHEA), Executive Coach
Senior Consultant, ex-Senior Regional Manager, specialised in Leadership, Change Management, Strategy and Risk with a combined of more than 40 years of with industry and academic expertise. Visiting professor in numerous UK and international academic institutions, Board member in several international Universities. Senior Fellow in Higher Education Academy, England (SFHEA) PMP certified project manager, QMI Quality Management Lead Audit (Canada) and Certified Coach and Certified Organisation Development Coach. He teaches on their executive Postgraduate and MBA programmes, has delivered at numerus of conferences and guest seminars world-wide, and is internationally known for his scholarly activities. He has jointly published over 60 papers journals and conference proceedings and been a co-investigator on numerous research grants. In addition, he is a reviewer in 8 academic journals.
Prof. Abraham initiated, planned, and organised the implementation of many small, medium, and large international projects, including customer services, planning, project management, strategic planning and feasibility studies. He frequently works with both national and international companies in sectors as varied as aviation, education, service organisations and diversified services, financial services, and not-for-profit sectors (including higher education institutions in the Middle East, Asia, EU, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey, and UK).
Prof. Abraham Principal Investigator and actively participated in several funded projects including Institutional Link in collaboration between UK and Kazakhstan and several funded projects in Saudi Arabia.
BELLA GAZDIYEVA, PhD, Professor
Senior Executive, Communication and Leadership Expert
Professor Bella Gazdiyeva, ex-Mayor, former Member of Regional Council in Kazakhstan, over 16 years of experience in international education, public policy, leadership, and communication. Erasmus Mundus (Centrale Ecole de Nantes, France, 2013), John Smith Trust (London, UK 2017) fellow. Visiting Professor at Helsinki University, Finland (2009), Brunel University London, UK (2013-2015).
Throughout her distinguished career, Professor Bella has spearheaded projects in regional development and communication, fostering collaboration across diverse environments (Newton Fund, British Council, EU Tempus/Erasmus, national funds from KSA and Kazakhstan).
Professor Bella is a recognised thought leader, actively conducting research and collaborating with national and international partners on strategic planning and regional development.
Prof. Bella Gazdiyeva is more than just an academic. Her extensive experience in team and project management, along with her certifications in Prince2 Foundation Project Management, ISO 37001 Anti-bribery management systems Lead Auditor, demonstrate her commitment to effective leadership and achieving results. Her strong analytical and communication skills, coupled with her expertise in negotiation and intercultural relations, make her an invaluable asset to the programme.
AFNAN AL-SHUAIBY, PhD
Programme Executive, Founder and CEO, Senior Manager Executive
Dr. Afnan Al Shuaiby has held various positions in Saudi Arabia in education, and foreign companies in the USA. She is the former Secretary General and Chief Executive of the Arab British Chamber of Commerce in London, England. In January 2021, Dr Afnan was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Arab International Women's Forum.
Dr Afnan was recently elected as the first executive director of the Women Development Organisation (WDO) that is affiliated with the organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
She is the Founder and CEO of FNN International, and a senior manager executive with over 20 years of comprehensive large-scale management and a successful track record providing fiscal, strategic, and operational leadership in uniquely challenging situations in Saudi Arabia, the wider Arab world, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Dr Afnan has held the position of Director General of International Relations in the Ministry of Culture. She was Advisor to the President of the US Saudi Business Council in Washington DC, USA.
OLGA GLUSHKOVSKAYA, MPA, Lecturer
Director of Operations, Business Transformation Expert
Olga Glushkovskaya is a Business Transformation Expert with over 15 years of experience in Big4, national wealth funds, banks and higher-education institutions.
She is certified in Change Management (PROSCI) and Internal Audit (ISO 9001). Having a successful career and gaining professional experience in industries including oil and gas, mining, and logistics she is now a prominent lecturer in several universities in the CIS region.
Her main expertise is in project and programme management, business processes optimisation, operational models' implementation and improving business effectiveness.
She also lectures on topics such as professional development, soft skills improvement, team building, profiling, and conflict management.
Olga worked at top-management level in national wealth fund and postal service/logistics sector. Her leadership skills helped her to not only gain a distinguished professional reputation but also achieve a good work-life balance.
In recent years Olga has focused on helping start-ups and other companies in EMEA region with business transformation and improvement of their efficiency.
DANA JANTEMIROVA, PhDSenior Coach, Programme Leader Dana has 15+ years of management experience in Higher Education, Adult Education, Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Development with 7+ years using coaching approach to business and management, assessing competencies of top and middle managers of various international and national level companies (including civil servants). Dana is a member of ICF-Kazakhstan Chapter Board, specialising in coaching in organisation and business. Since 2019 she acted as an assessor in the Project for Assessing the Political Civil Servants (Level «A»). She holds MA in Economics from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and PhD in Economics from La Sapienza University (Italy). Certified in Project Management (ISO 21500 Trainer), Assessment and Development, Occupation Testing and Personality. Since 2011 Dana has participated in several international projects, including projects from UNESCO and British Council.Her current role focuses on strategic development, implementation of internal coaching practices and assessment tools (OPQ – Occupation Personality Questionnaire).
MAKPAL SHALABAYEVA, MCompChief Digital Officer, International IT Expert Makpal is a graduate of Bolashak International Scholarship with over 10 years of experience in IT and Digital. She holds BSc Information Systems degree (2014) and MSc in Computing degree from National University of Singapore (2018). As a business developer she had gone through internship in two commercial companies in Singapore. After returning from Singapore she worked at Sh. Ualikhanov Kokshetau State University (Kazakhstan) as a lecturer at the Information Systems Faculty. Currently holds a position as a Senior Lecturer at the Academy of Public Administration Under the President of The Republic of Kazakhstan. Her main areas of expertise are Cybersecurity and Digital Proficiency. Makpal is certified as a Project Manager (ISO 21500:2014 Guidance on Project Management, IDT) and Data Analytics (2022).
MAKPAL SHALABAYEVA, MComp
Chief Digital Officer, International IT Expert
Makpal is a graduate of Bolashak International Scholarship with over 10 years of experience in IT and Digital. She holds BSc Information Systems degree (2014) and MSc in Computing degree from National University of Singapore (2018).
As a business developer she had gone through internship in two commercial companies in Singapore. After returning from Singapore she worked at Sh. Ualikhanov Kokshetau State University (Kazakhstan) as a lecturer at the Information Systems Faculty.
Currently holds a position as a Senior Lecturer at the Academy of Public Administration Under the President of The Republic of Kazakhstan. Her main areas of expertise are Cybersecurity and Digital Proficiency.
Makpal is certified as a Project Manager (ISO 21500:2014 Guidance on Project Management, IDT) and Data Analytics (2022).