Dr. Robert Pfumbudzayi

Board Member | Independent

Dr Robert Pfumbudzayi Machera is currently working at Botho University in Botswana as Dean Faculty of Business and Accounting. He is an enthusiastic, energetic leader and has occupied executive roles such as Financial Manager, Group Accountant, Company Secretary, Human Resource Practitioner and Administration Manager for large, listed corporations in Zimbabwe for 18 years, before joining the academic world. He is a well-rounded scholar with research interest in micro - lending companies, entrepreneurship, finance, banking, accounting, managing people, education, and training. In his career as an academician at Botho University, he has been awarded with 4 certificates as a nominee for Teaching Excellence awards and 1 certificate for Research Excellence award. He has a passion in computerised accounting software and digital platforms, as evidenced through certifications in Sage Pastel Accounting, Digital Teacher (e -Teacher - Blackboard) and FinTech Disruptive Innovation: Implications for Society. Robert P Machera is an outstanding researcher as he has supervised approximately 65 postgraduate (MBA) students from the Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA) and Regent Business School in South Africa. He has been awarded a Golden Key membership certificate for top academic performer at postgraduate level (PhD) class of 2020 at the North West University Mafikeng Campus in South Africa. His doctoral thesis focused on developing a framework to enterprise risk management and sustainability in micro-lending companies in Botswana. The topics and themes covered in his thesis are in the areas of micro-lending companies, financial reporting, audit and assurance, entrepreneurship, corporate governance, and sustainability in business enterprises. His research work has been published in renowned international journals and he has presented in national, regional, and international conferences.

Michelle Mosolgo

Board Member | Independent

Michelle Mosolgo is passionate about education and is a life-long learner. She is a champion of personal and professional development bringing innovative leadership programs into industry. She has helped many teams discover and leverage technology in new and disruptive ways. Her current focus at Macklin Connection is helping people learn techniques to connect with others (and themselves) in a meaningful and authentic way – with the belief that this is a critical leadership skill for the next industrial revolution.

Previously she has held numerous leadership roles including the CTO for the Merck’s Healthcare System and Solution LLC (HSS), an independent entity focused on improving the value of care delivered to patients worldwide. She was also the Digital Innovation leader for Merck’s "Merck For Mother’s program", a 10-year, $500 million initiative focused on creating a world where no woman dies giving life focusing on innovative solutions in India and Africa, and the President of Vree Health – Transition Advantage, an independent, wholly-owned subsidiary of Merck to help hospitals engage patients to improve the coordination of care and lower hospital readmission rates. Michelle has worked globally for most of her career having had staff in 26 countries and including a 2-year stint in Japan as interim-CIO during the acquisition of a $2B Japanese pharmaceutical company.

Michelle earned a Masters in Business Administration from Ecole Superieure de Commerce-Pau in France and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

David Gleave

Board Member | Independent

David Gleave has had a distinguished career as a senior international executive for the University of Cambridge with responsibility for major educational development projects in Africa and Asia. He is an expert on educational assessment and has prepared detailed studies of the examination systems of many countries for the World Bank and other international funding agencies and was Principal UK Adviser to the Sino-British Centre for Educational Measurement in Beijing. David has also been a pioneer in the development of internet based learning technologies since 2000 and has managed the creation of large scale online programmes for universities and business corporations in Britain, the USA, and South East Asia.

Dr. Deborah Vess

Board Member | Independent

Dr Vess is a Professor of History, Music and Philosophy at EGSC and also teaches Art courses. She developed some of the first courses for the University System of Georgia’s eCore, and currently teaches Philosophy for eCore. Dr Vess teaches several courses online each semester in Music and History.

Dr Vess has held several leadership roles, where she supervised online program and course development and implementation. She has also held several positions as accreditation liaison with SACSCOC and NEASC, and is well versed in accreditation issues related to online programs. Her previous positions include service as the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs and SACSCOC liaison at EGSC, as Vice President for Academic Affairs and SACSCOC Accreditation liaison at Amarillo College; as Director of Interdisciplinary Studies, Coordinator of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, SACSCOC Accreditation Liaison, and Interim Director of Assessment, and Special Assistant to the Provost at Georgia College & State University; as Vice President for Academic Affairs and NEASC liaison at Rivier University; and as Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies and Academic Programs at The City University of New York, where she worked with the College of Business and other divisions to develop partnerships and academic programs with institutions abroad. Early in her career, she served as Coordinator for Interdisciplinary Studies at Dekalb College (now Georgia State University-Perimeter College). In her published work as a faculty member, Dr. Vess has often focused on the creative use of educational technology to enhance learning.

Dr. Vess has held four tenured positions at some the institutions above as a professor of history, and has won numerous local, state, and national awards for her teaching and for her work in the scholarship of teaching and learning. These include the Ernest Boyer International Award for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Technology (2007); the University System of Georgia Board of Regents Research in Undergraduate Education Award (2001) and the USG BOR Hall of Fame Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Faculty Award (2007); a Pew National Fellowship for Carnegie Scholars with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (1999); two Excellence in Teaching Awards from the National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development at the University of Texas, and an international exemplary course award from WEBCT for an online eCore history course now used in the University System of Georgia. Dr. Vess was among the first group of university system professors to be designated by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents as Distinguished Professors of Teaching and Learning for their home institutions (1996 for DeKalb College, now Georgia State University-Perimeter College).

Dr.Vess has published numerous articles on teaching and learning, and book chapters and articles on medieval and modern religious debates, medieval church history, and medieval philosophy and theology. Dr. Vess was a founding co-editor for Magistra: a Journal of Women’s Spirituality and serves as editor emeritus on the editorial board, and previously served as Joint Editor for Vox benedictina: A journal of women’s and monastic studies, as Net Review editor for The History Computer Review, and as an editor for the H-Net list H-Catholic. She previously served as VP of Teaching for H-Net. She has given numerous scholarly presentations at professional conferences and is a tireless advocate for student success, who has often led special programs to address issues related to equity and the achievement gap.

Dr Vess completed her Bachelor in Arts and Philosophy discipline from Indiana University and her Masters in the same discipline from University of Pittsburgh. Along with being a Master of Philosophy, Dr Vess is also a Bachelor in Music in Piano Performance from The Pennsylvania State University. In addition, Dr Vess is a PhD holder. from The University of North Texas, European History

Firoz Thairinil

Board Member | Ex-Officio

Mr. Firoz Thairinil is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Westford Education Group (WEG). As the Group Head, Mr. Thairinil ensures that commitment to high services standards and a culture of optimum performance is embedded across the entire group. The CEO comes from a BFSI background with strong management credentials.  He is a graduate in Artificial Intelligence (AI) from the University of Oxford, UK. He has successfully completed PG Diploma in AI for Business Applications from the University. He has also done Leadership and Management Development Program from the University of California, Los Angeles Extension, and also possesses an MBA degree in Marketing from the University of Wales, UK.

Mr. Thairinil has led Westford from a small training academy in 2008 to a Global Education Provider to students and professionals from more than 130 countries. Mr. Thairinil started his career in Banking sector in 1995 as a clerical grade officer, and rose to the rank of Country Head within a span of 15 years. During his 15 years stint in Banking Industry he has worked with reputed banks, such as Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), Emirates International Bank (ENBD), and National Bank of Umm Al Quwain (NBQ).

While serving as Country Head – Retail Banking Sales for a large commercial bank in UAE, Mr. Thairinil conceptualized his brainchild, Westford, with the vision to bring a notable transformation in the global education system. From that humble beginning, he has successfully created an education system that taps the advantages of modern technology. He embarked on the journey with the objective of making quality education accessible and affordable to all learners especially the working professionals who confront real challenges in refining and reinventing their skills due to time constraints. With his long-term vision, the global education industry will continue to trudge on its path of positive transformational change.

Dr. Michelle Kempke Eppler

Board Member | Independent

Dr. Michelle Kempke Eppler was appointed Associate Vice President for Bellevue University in December, 2017. She serves in two University roles; as the Associate Vice President of the Human Capital Lab and as the founding Dean of Bellevue University’s College of Continuing & Professional Education. She also serves as the Program Director for the Master of Professional Studies and the Master of Strategic Management degrees. Previously, Dr. Eppler served as Assistant Vice President of Academic Services/Dean of Students from 2003-2012, and the Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) for BU Athletics from 2012-2018. She has more than twenty-four years of experience in higher education, including seventeen years of experience in international program administration.

Dr. Eppler has been recognized for her accomplishments by the Midlands Business Journal (40 Under 40 Award, 2008) and the Omaha World Herald (Suburban Under 40 Award, 2010). Michelle has an EdD in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri, a Master of Science in Counseling from the University of Nebraska, a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations/Latin American Studies (with minors in Geography and Spanish) from Drake University, and she was an ISEP Scholar at la Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

She is a graduate of the Omaha Chamber’s Leadership Omaha program (Class 29), is currently serving in her third term as member of the Board of Directors and is Secretary of the Board for Kids Can Community Center, a member of the Board of Directors for ICAN: Institute for Career Advancement Needs, and is a past board member for the Nebraska Council for Problem Gambling and Bellevue Offutt Kiwanis Club. Dr. Eppler is also the National Education Committee Chairwoman for the National Council for Problem Gambling.

Arturo Lavalle

Board Member | Independent

Arturo Lavalle is Member of the Board of Directors and Head of the Research and Development Department at Università degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi of Rome, Italy. He is also Head of the Project Management Office at the Interuniversity Consortium For.Com and President of the Technical Scientific Committee of Assinrete, the Italian national association of enterprise networks professionals. He received his Master’s degree in Economics and Management of Cultural Heritage from the University of Rome Tor Vergata and the Professional Qualification in "Project Cycle Management" from the CNR - (Italian National Research Council). He is senior project manager of national and international research projects and is actively involved in the definition and implementation of internationalization and business development strategies of his university. Over the last years, he has also been engaged in the identification and transfer of the new competencies required by digital transformation and Industry 4.0 with a specific focus on SMEs. Additionally, he is a certified Lead Auditor of ISO 56002 - Innovation Management Systems.

Prof. Abraham O. A

Board Member | Independent

A multidisciplinary international teacher, writer/journalist, author and speaker, Abraham O. A, with research interest in modern entrepreneurship, international business, leadership & humanitarian law, has produced many Bachelors and EMBA graduates across universities and nations.

He holds many qualifications, including EMBA, M.Sc Coaching & Development (UK), and Certificate in International Humanitarian Law from Oxford University Collaborative Centre, PhD in Management & European Professional Doctorate (EPD) in Int’l Education Management, Aldersgate College (EU/Asia).

He is a member of the Board of Examiners for PhD students' Thesis writing & defence of selected universities, including Bharathiar University, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, India. A Peer-Reviewer/Member on the Editorial Board of special journals/publications including Common Ground Research Network, USA and Texila International Journal, S/America. He has published over 20 articles, peer-reviewed over 60 articles & assisting journals in preparation for enlistment on Scopus.

An Associate Professor, Board Advisor of Institutions, author of Writing Excellent Articles for Conferences & Journals, Effective Coaching for New Start-Ups, among other publications, Prof. Abraham speaks on business leadership in conferences across Europe, UAE & Africa.

Dr. Andrew Hambler

Board Member | Chief External Examiner

Dr. Andrew  Hambler is an experienced academic who has worked for 16 years in universities in the United Kingdom as a Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor. Andrew’s degrees are from Durham University, the University of Manchester and the University of Leicester. He studied for his doctorate at Durham University. Andrew worked with Westford University College for many years as a partnerships manager and link tutor and has a detailed understanding of the needs and expectations of experienced professionals undertaking study internationally. He is an experienced doctoral supervisor and examiner and has advised a number of Higher Education Institutions in the UK and overseas on their course development, including the introduction of professional doctorates.

Dr. Hambler's research is in the areas of labour law and human resources and he has a particular interest in the role of religion at the workplace. He has published several articles, book chapters and a monograph. He started his career as an HR Consultant for the global financial services company PwC. For some years, he was an officer in the British Reserve Forces. 

Col (Rtd). Anil Ahluwalia

Chair of the Board

Anil Ahluwalia has had more than 30 years of experience as a trainer. He is a Master Trainer and acclaimed as an outstanding leader in the domain of Academic, Corporate, HR and Business Management Training Services. He commanded a large organization, and was involved in extensive training while serving in the Indian Army. He was also deputed by the Indian Government to train the Botswana Defence Force. Anil is presently spearheading conduct of all training courses for Westford Education Group in UAE, India, and other regions, as the Group Academic Director. He has also conducted training courses from graduate to post graduate levels, including workshops and seminars for varied nationalities in diverse job industries. He is also a qualified experiential learning trainer. His highly motivating seminars and workshops are well known for their high-quality content backed by his inimitable and engaging style of delivery. His energizing sessions are insightful and stimulate participants to unleash their innate energies, fulfill their potential and create an intense desire for success and personal excellence.

Anil Ahluwalia is an alumni of the prestigious St. Stephen’s College, Delhi; National Defence Academy, Pune; and also an MBA graduate from the Symbiosis University in India. Having worked in India, Botswana (Southern Africa), Oman and UAE, Anil has been a driving force behind our continual improvement philosophy, with intense focus towards improvement of people commitment and behaviour. He takes immense pride in dealing with the most important resource, the human resource and believes that people sometimes limit their own progress by building barriers with self-defeating prophecies and he enjoys assisting people to successfully overcome them.