Management Team

	Professor John Grainger Pro-Vice Chancellor/ Murdoch University Dubai President/ Global Institute Middle East FZ LLC Professor John Grainger, as a graduate of Murdoch Perth, Western Australia, is delighted to lead a team of educational professionals in offering a range of internationally accredited Australian degrees in Dubai. The Murdoch Dubai campus is celebrating the 4th Anniversary of its presence in Dubai and taking the opportunity to review the significant impact its presence on the educational scene has made over that time. The Australian reputation for resilience and tenacity in the face of challenges allowed us to grow and thrive beyond our dreams despite the 2008 global economic crisis and the unsettled world economy of the last few years. In four short years we have built Murdoch University’s brand recognition throughout the GCC, sub-Saharan Africa, India, Pakistan and Kazakhstan. Our team of education professionals has also contributed at a significant level to Dubai’s ongoing aspirations to become a world-class educational hub. Murdoch University has grown from small beginnings into the sixth largest of the 50+ universities in Dubai and has become the institution of choice for discerning students seeking value for money. Our graduates are witness to the quality of our degree courses, and testament to our unwavering student focus, friendly yet professional atmosphere and KHDA and TEQSA accredited program. These educational opportunities truly represent the ethos, high standards, and unequivocal calibre of degrees offered by Murdoch University in Australia. Professor Grainger earned degrees in Psychology and Education prior to gaining his MBA and his Doctorate in Business Administration. He has a long and distinguished career within the international information dissemination industry, as a professional writer and publisher; a successful business leader; a consultant; a teacher and an academic in Australia, the United Kingdom and Singapore. He describes his move to the UAE in 2002 as the most energising, stimulating and fulfilling move of his long, successful career. Professor Grainger’s research interests include dealing with future trends in education and the economic and social impacts of transnational higher education on both the exporting and importing countries. He reflects that “the opportunity to help grow an Australian university of international reputation, within the environment of the UAE is a professional and personal dream come true.” He is enthusiastic about Murdoch University’s role in offering genuine and authentic learning opportunities to young people in the Emirates, specifically crafted to develop the skills, experience and expertise which will empower them to take on their future role as leaders in the local and global business community. Professor Grainger is passionate about teaching, and in addition to considerable experience across most areas of MBA-level business education he recently introduced a highly successful Master of Education program of great benefit to the large cohort of international teachers employed across the Emirates. All teaching at Murdoch University in Dubai is based on student-focused and authentic learning experiences, whereby students learn by active rather than passive engagement. He is enthusiastic about the important role of technology in improving the learning process and is himself a dedicated life-long learner.
	Daniel Adkins Academic Director/ Murdoch University Dubai Executive Vice President/ Global Institute Middle East FZ LLC Dan joined Murdoch University in November 2009 to teach in the Foundation and Business programmes. Born in the United States, Dan began his career working in the information technology industry. During his time in the IT industry he performed IT services for companies including IBM, Dell, Clorox, Philips, Hershey’s, Coca-Cola, Merck, and VISA. Over the course of 20 years, Dan held numerous management positions, including CIO and CEO. Before coming to the UAE he worked extensively in the United States, India, Vietnam, the UK, and the Philippines. He has taught IT professionals in various disciplines including project management, quality management, and leadership skills. After founding an international school in India, he moved to the UAE in 2007 to return to his passions; teaching and lifelong learning. Dan holds an MBA from Herriot-Watt University and has received professional certifications in project management, quality assurance, and TEFL. He has lectured at the university level in IT, economics, accounting, and law and at the secondary level in business studies, English, law, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and biology. Email: daniel.adkins@murdochdubai.ac.ae
	Raghav Lal Group Vice President Raghav Lal is the Group Vice President of Global Institute Middle East FZ LLC & Murdoch University International Study Centre Dubai. Raghav joined Global Institute Middle East FZ LLC in 2007 to set up the Murdoch University campus in Dubai. He was involved in the project planning, set-up and implementation of the University in 2008 and currently serves as Group Vice President of Global Institute Middle East FZ LLC and Murdoch University Dubai along with oversight for the MIS and Finance functions of the group. Raghav completed his schooling at the Doon School in India, his undergraduate studies from Bentley College, Waltham, Massachusetts where he completed his Bachelor of Science in Finance and Management. He later completed his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Murdoch University. E-mail: raghav.lal@murdochdubai.ac.ae Linkedin: http://ae.linkedin.com/in/raghavlal
	Christopher Pilgrim Senior Vice President – Business Development and Special Projects Christopher (Chris) Pilgrim holds a Master of Business Administration Degree and a Baccalaureate of Business Administration Degree from The University of New Brunswick in Canada. His MBA specialized in Finance and International Business and his research focus during his MBA was on foreign joint venture investment in the People’s Republic of China. As an education professional with over 20 years of experience in public and private sector higher-education, he was most recently involved in the development and establishment of Canadian education entities in South Asia and in The Middle East. He has extensive international experience and has travelled widely abroad. He has also worked with students from around the world. Pilgrim’s career in education has centred on international business development and on creating an atmosphere for student success. Pilgrim has previously lectured in a management development programs and has held several lecture roles at various colleges in Canada. In addition to lecturing in the Commerce Course, Pilgrim has a role of managing the synergy between admissions/accreditation, and student affairs at Murdoch university. He works with the admissions team to review and qualify applicants to Murdoch course offerings, working directly with academic staff and students to continuously support an environment for the academic success of Murdoch students. E-mail: chris.pilgrim@globaleduexcel.com
	Dr. Mays Al Saffar Vice President – Organisational Development HR and Administration Mays joined Murdoch University in September 2008 as the Human Resources & Administration Manager. Mays graduated in 2000 from College of Dentistry at Baghdad University with a distinction and obtained a Master’s degree in Operative Dentistry in 2002. She also holds a PGD in Human Resources Management from Cambridge College in the UK. Mays has 11 years’ experience of HR, Admin and PR experience in education, healthcare and financial services industries in government and for-profit organizations. She also taught basic science and dentistry for 4 years in Iraq. She originates and manages the Human Resources and Administration Departments and is responsible for all HR functions within the University (recruitment, training & development, payroll, employee relations, policies & procedures, manpower planning, change management, performance management, staff events, and end of service). Mays also oversees general administration including transportation and logistics, campus management and visas, and assists the Academic department in trimesterly academic staffing. Mays reports directly to the Vice Chairman. Her main goal at Murdoch is to create a positive work environment fostering the personal and professional growth of each individual within the organization, and to ensure achievement of strategic goals through an optimized, motivated, qualified and empowered workforce with high standards of operational and academic excellence. E-mail: mays.alsaffar@murdochdubai.ac.ae Linkedin: http://ae.linkedin.com/in/maysalsaffar
	Antoaneta Dimitrova Head of Student Services/ Registrar Student Services Department Having attained her Master of Business Administration degree from Murdoch University Dubai, Antoaneta joined the team as a Sr. Admissions Counsellor in February 2010. Her role primarily involved counselling students about university programs and degree planning, and assisting them in gaining successful admission in the university. Since September 2011 Antoaneta has been appointed as Head of Admissions and Student Services responsible for overseeing daily operations and administration of the Admissions and Student Affairs Departments, focusing on planning and managing the University’s admission and recruitment activities and ensuring operational excellence and student satisfaction within the two departments. Antoaneta reports directly to the SVP – Student Services and Recruitment. Prior to joining Murdoch University Dubai Antoaneta has been working in Dubai for over 11 years, gaining extensive experience in the hospitality, real estate and financial services industries. E-mail: antoaneta.dimitrova@murdochdubai.ac.ae
	Farhanah Raza Marketing & PR Manager Marketing and PR Department Farhanah joined Murdoch University Dubai in October 2011 as a Marketing and PR specialist and is responsible for planning and managing advertising and PR campaigns of the university. She is involved with developing long-term marketing plans and strategies which enhance the Murdoch University brand by maximising use of social media and blogs, identifying new media platforms and managing relations with local and international media. Farhanah graduated from the University of Reading, UK with a Bachelors in Chemistry. She was a part of the marketing team at the Guardian Media Group before moving to Dubai and joining Murdoch University Dubai. Email: farhanah.raza@murdochdubai.ac.ae
	Biju Veetil IT & Technical Manager IT and Technical Support Biju joined Murdoch Dubai in March 2008. As IT & Technical Manager he is responsible for the management of the University's data, application, network infrastructure and all media facilities. In his current role, Biju has overall accountability for IT & media facilities, strategic growth, and day-to-day management, budgeting and resource management. He ensures proper delivery of technologies such as the enterprise storage system, enterprise backup, disaster prevention, recovery technologies, and enterprise system monitoring and management technologies to all departments. He also manages the team that provides technical and helpdesk support to all users. Biju has 12 years of experience in the IT industry mainly on implementing various IT projects on banking sector. He holds Diploma in Electronics Engineering as well as being a certified Microsoft & Cisco System Engineer. E-mail: biju.veetil@murdochdubai.ac.ae
	Sudeep Sachin Finance & Accounts Manager Finance & Accounts Department Sachin joined Murdoch Dubai in March 2009 as Accounts Officer sharing the responsibility for Accounts and financial reporting of the University. In Feb 2011 he has been appointed as Assistant Manager – Risk Management & Internal Audit. From December 2011 Sachin became responsible for managing the Accounts and Finance Department including, but not limited to, corporate financial matters, dealing with financial institutions and other stakeholders. Sachin reports directly to the Vice Chairmen. Prior to joining Murdoch, Sachin has worked in a variety of fields including Audit, FMCG and Pharmaceutical Companies. He has 7 years of work experience out of which almost 3 years spent in the UAE. Sachin holds a Bachelor Degree in Commerce, from Mangalore University, India and a Diploma in Information Technology. E-mail: sudeep.sachin@murdochdubai.ac.ae