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Kevin McNeany

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Kevin J. McNeany
Born1943 (age 81–82)
Keady, Northern Ireland
EducationBachelor of Arts, Postgraduate Certificate in Education and Postgraduate diploma
Occupation(s)Businessperson, education investor
Years active1970s-present
EmployerOrbital Education

Kevin McNeany (born 1943 Keady, Northern Ireland), is a Northern Irish entrepreneur in the education and international education sectors.[1] He founded Nord Anglia Education (1972) and Orbital Education (2008).[1] He is the executive chairman of Orbital Education.[2]

Life and career

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1944-2004: Early life and Nord Anglia

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Kevin McNeany was born circa 1943[3] in Keady, Northern Ireland.[1] He is originally from County Armagh.[4]

He started his career as a teacher in 1964,[1] teaching English in Northern Ireland, and then moved to Leeds. He began working in further education, and in 1972 moved to Southport. There, he started a business providing English-language courses for foreign students, expanding also into Blackpool, Chester, and Manchester.[4] He was running the Nord Anglia business full-time by 1976, when it had 11 centers. By the early 1980s, he was serving as chairman, and purchased a prep school in Manchester. He then bought Hull Grammar School and Gramercy in Torbay.[4]

He led the IPO of Nord Anglia Education PLC in 1997[5][1] as the first and still the only education company to gain a full listing in the London Stock Exchange.[1] He retired as chairman of Nord Anglia Education in December 2004, after being part of the company for 32 years.[6]

2005-2014: Founding Acorn and Orbital

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In 2005,[7] founded Acorn Care and Education,[8] serving as chairman of Acorn Education in 2010.[3] He sold Acorn to a Canadian pension fund in early 2013[8] for £150 million.[7]

He founded Orbital Education in 2008,[1] and by 2013 was chairman. Orbital focuses on running international schools and colleges, mainly in the British tradition, to expatriate students and host families.[9]

In April 2012, he sold all but a 2.5% stake of his share in Nord Anglia, shortly after retiring from the company. The year prior, it had become Britain's largest nursery group.[10]

At the start of 2013, McNeany owned the Manchester Academy of English, after first investing in 2008. He sold the stake in 2013 for £3 million, retiring as chairman.[8] In 2014, he owned 14 nurseries linked to existing independent schools.[4] Kevin received the "Outstanding individual contribution" accolade at the Education Investor awards on November 13, 2014, for contributions to the education sector.[11]

2015-2025: Recent years

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In 2019, he remained chairman of Orbital Education.[5] In 2023, he was present at the opening of United School International on The Pearl Island. At the time, he remained Orbital chair and vice chairman of United Schools International, a school opened in 2022 as a partnership between Orbital and United Development Company (UDC).[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Beckett, Francis (January 2002). "The New Statesman Profile - Kevin McNeany". New Statesman. 131 (4570): 19.
  2. ^ https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/2045343-education-group-clinches-prestigious-school-contract-in-qatar
  3. ^ a b https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/teachers-pension-fund-close-to-deal-for-education-firm/article4352539/
  4. ^ a b c d https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-man-who-makes-learning-pay-1596042.html
  5. ^ a b https://www.business-live.co.uk/enterprise/bgf-backing-manchester-based-private-16972364
  6. ^ https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/founders-goodbye-to-nord-anglia-1132897
  7. ^ a b https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/acorn-care-sold-to-canadian-pension-880960
  8. ^ a b c https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/tuis-3m-takeover-of-citys-english-897054
  9. ^ Orbital, Education. "Orbital Education". Orbital Education. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  10. ^ https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/childcare-chief-retires-with-ps10m-windfall-7203797.html
  11. ^ "The Education Investor Awards Winners 2014". Education Investor. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  12. ^ https://www.gulf-times.com/article/661730/qatar/united-school-international-on-the-pearl-island-officially-opened
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