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Business Partnerships

At Knowledge Universe, as we continue to develop our existing education platforms around the world, we are also seeking mutually beneficial opportunities to joint venture or acquire education businesses.

Our growth over the years has come through acquisitions, joint ventures and building education companies from the ground up. We also develop and offer products and services which complement our current portfolio to better meet the educational needs of different segments of the market. We believe in continuing to invest in improving and growing businesses we acquire or joint venture with, in order to add value to the students, parents, teachers, stakeholders and communities we serve.

We believe there is critical role that the private sector plays in constantly pushing the envelope, and to lead and engage in conversations with thought leaders in the education sphere. At Knowledge Universe, we believe in working alongside industry leaders and policy makers to find innovative solutions to improve the quality of educational outcomes. One of our leadership team members actively involved in driving this work is Nina Rees, Senior VP, Strategic Initiatives.

We recognise Knowledge Universe is in a privileged position to impact lives positively through education, and we would be delighted to speak to you if you are ready to join our family of companies to continue making a difference through education.

Looking to joint venture or sell your education business?

If you own an education business and are considering selling or joint venturing, perhaps you should consider your business becoming a part of one of the world's largest private education companies. Please contact our Business Development team to start a conversation.

Meet some of our Business Development Team members

Should you be considering a sale or joint venture of your education business, any one of our Business Development Team members will be ready to explore this with you. 

Adam Cohn
Senior Vice President
Knowledge Universe

Adam heads up Mergers and Acquisitions at Knowledge Universe and is responsible for its investments, financings and business development, including those of its portfolio of companies. 

Since joining Knowledge Universe in 2000, Adam has led acquisitions and related financing of KinderCare Learning Centers Inc. and Armark Educational Resources by Knowledge Learning Corporation. 

Adam has also held senior positions with banking and financial companies such as Whitney & Co., a leading private equity firm and as an investment banker in the Financial Sponsors Group at Bankers Trust Company and Deutsche Bank. He is also on the board of directors for several private and public companies.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Skidmore College and an MBA from Columbia University.

Michael Neumann
Vice President
Knowledge Universe 

In his current position with Knowledge Universe’s Mergers and Acquisitions group, Michael manages its investments, financings and business development for Knowledge Universe and those of its portfolio of companies. 

Michael joined Knowledge Universe in 2002. Since then, he has been a key member of the team responsible for the acquisitions and related financing of KinderCare Learning Centers Inc., Aramark Educational Resources, Children’s Creative Learning Centers, Aventa and other companies within the organization’s portfolio. 

Prior Knowledge Universe, Michael was with TCW / Crescent Mezzanine, where he focused on financing for company buyouts. He was also with the investment banking division in the Financial Sponsors Group at Deutsche Bank (formerly Bankers Trust). Michael also serves on several private company boards.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame.

Damien Lim
Vice President
Business Development

Damien Lim heads Business Development, based in Singapore, and is responsible for investments, financing and business development. 

Previously, he was a key member of the M&A Transaction Services Group in Deloitte & Touche Singapore, where he advised numerous multinational and public listed strategic buyers, private equity/financial investors and vendors on structuring tax-efficient deals, and identifying financial and strategic risks or opportunities in relation to acquisitions and comprehensive debt restructuring transactions. 

Damien managed a range of M&A transactions internationally, coordinating the financial, tax, commercial and legal due diligence work. He was also involved in dispute resolution, investigations and litigation support work. 

Prior to Deloitte & Touche, Damien was a pioneer member of the Transaction Advisory Services team in Arthur Andersen where he focused on providing specialised transaction advisory support and deal structuring advice. 

Damien has a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, from the University of Queensland, Australia and is a Certified Practising Accountant. He is a member of the CPA Australia and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore. Damien is married with a daughter. 

Hear from some business partners who have joined us

Learning Vision, Singapore

June Rusdon"I founded Learning Vision in 1990 when, as a working mother and stockbroker, I could not find a suitable preschool for my children. The initial learning curve was steep. Looking back, I am proud of having established the Learning Vision brand to be the largest employer-sponsored childcare services provider to major corporations and institutions today, and a leader in the early childhood education sector in Singapore.

We are thrilled to have joined Knowledge Universe in 2007. Since then, my staff and I have been exposed to many opportunities ranging from business expansion, to best practice sharing to personal development. The Learning Vision business has further strengthened. With the vision and financial backing from Knowledge Universe, we have even seen one of our dreams come true ... after 7 years of rigourous research, with Knowledge Universe’s encouragement, we have successfully set up Odyssey, The Global Preschool in Singapore, to offer innovative experience-centred, problem-based learning experiences for children in a state-of-the-art setting. Without Knowledge Universe, that vision would have taken us longer to achieve!

Henry Ford once said "Whether you think you can or think you can't - you're right". We believe in the power of imagination to alter lives and at Knowledge Universe, this applies to everyone in the organisation, from the children we educate to our staff and the senior leadership."

June Rusdon
CEO, Knowledge Universe SE Asia
(former Founder, CEO of Learning Vision)


Busy Bees, United Kingdom

John Woodward"The education and child care sectors are populated with people committed to the services they provide, and the people they work with. The better people also inevitably have good business skills in addition to their passion for the service.

We founded and developed Busy Bees from a single site over 25 years ago to the largest private provider of early years’ care in the UK. We had a chequered history of investment support over that time, experiencing good and bad, both nationally and internationally. It was vital that during our next stage of development we worked with people who had a deep understanding of education and business. The people at Knowledge Universe enthused the existing team not only with their business skills and deep experience, but also by their belief in the importance of early years’ education. They have not let us down!"

John Woodward
CEO, Knowledge Universe, UK
Group Managing Director
BUSY BEES, UK

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