Dino Varkey

Dino Varkey serves as Group Chief Executive Officer of GEMS Education, a world-leading operator of private kindergarten-to-grade-12 schools headquartered in Dubai. He has held the CEO role since 2017. He represents the third generation of an education family, driven by providing access to quality education for almost 60 years, with grandparents who migrated from a village in Kerala, India to the UAE in 1959.

Dino is an Honours graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Studies from the University of Sheffield, UK, and completed an MBA from the same institution. He attended boarding school in the UK from age 11 and attended Winchester College. During his first semester at university, he decided to further the ambitions and purpose of GEMS Education.

Career history

• Senior Director of Business Development, GEMS Education (2004)
• Group Chief Operating Officer, GEMS Education
• Group Executive Director, GEMS Education
• Group Chief Executive Officer, GEMS Education (named to position February 2017)

Dino is a frequent speaker and moderator at global conferences and gatherings. He was a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Education, Gender and Work (2016–2018) and a Founding Board Member of the YPO Dubai Chapter. Under his leadership, GEMS continues strategic expansion, with plans to enter Saudi Arabia and Southeast Asia, while emphasizing AI's transformative impact on education.

What Dino Varkey could bring to his role as Group CEO at GEMS Education: Drawing on nearly two decades of progressive leadership within GEMS and his deep understanding of the organization's heritage, Dino brings strategic vision grounded in operational excellence. His background spanning business development, operations, and executive management positions him to drive global expansion while maintaining GEMS' commitment to educational quality and accessibility. His involvement with the World Economic Forum and thought leadership on education innovation suggest capacity to influence industry direction and navigate complex, evolving educational landscapes across diverse markets.