Ms. Premila Paulraj
CEO - LED / Chief Growth Officer - LGH- Ms. Premila Paulraj
Premila is a senior international education leader with over 25 years of experience across higher education pathways, international qualifications, vocational education, professional education, and K– 12 markets. She brings deep expertise in regional market leadership, transnational education strategy, institutional partnerships, and government engagement, with a sustained record of building and scaling education ecosystems across South Asia and the Asia-Pacific.
Premila has spent more than two decades in senior leadership roles within a global education organisation, operating at board and executive levels with responsibility for multi-country portfolios covering academic, vocational, professional, and digital learning.
Her career is distinguished by success in new market entry, qualification recognition, university progression pathways, and alignment of education with employability and cross-border mobility. She has led complex regional operations across diverse and highly regulated markets, delivering consistent double-digit growth, expanding institutional adoption, and strengthening brand and market position. Her work has enabled learners’ progression into higher education and professional careers through internationally benchmarked qualifications recognised across multiple jurisdictions.
Premila has built and sustained trusted relationships with ministries of education, regulators, universities, schools, colleges, professional bodies, and diplomatic missions, working closely with senior policymakers and institutional leaders. She is highly experienced in navigating regulatory frameworks, securing approvals, and aligning international education models with national priorities and workforce needs. Her regional leadership roles have included responsibility for strategy development, market expansion, commercial performance, regulatory engagement, and high- performing, geographically dispersed teams. She is recognised for her ability to translate global education strategy into locally relevant, compliant, and scalable delivery models, while maintaining academic integrity and commercial sustainability.
Earlier in her career, Premila played a formative role in introducing international curricula and vocational pathways in emerging markets, supporting institutions through curriculum mapping, academic capacity building, faculty engagement, and quality assurance. She has also lednational level marketing and stakeholder engagement strategies for professional education organisations, strengthening industry–education linkages and learner outcomes. Premila holds a Master of Business Administration from Robert Gordon University, Scotland, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK). She combines strategic insight with strong cultural intelligence,executive presence, and credibility with senior stakeholders across education, government, and industry. Beyond executive roles, Premila has contributed to professional and civic leadership, including service as President of the Sri Lanka– United Kingdom Society, and active engagement in regional professional networks. Her leadership has been recognised through multiple honours for professional excellence and contribution to education. In 2025, Premila was recognized as Global CEO – Top Businesswoman by the Global CEO Forum. She was also awarded the Iconic Woman Sri Lanka award by Ministry of Labour.
Premila Paulraj is widely regarded as a trusted regional leader with the capability to shape international education strategy, strengthen institutional partnerships, and drive sustainable growth across Asia and the Middle East, grounded in quality, access, and long-term value creation.
