Founder and CEO | British Orchard Nursery
THE INFINITE LEARNING CURVE British Orchard Nursery Founder and CEO, Dr Vandana Gandhi stands tall among the businessmen and women of the Middle East for her valuable and dependable contribution to the nation.
A consummate student, her belief in approaching situations armed with information has lent itself well to her elegant rise in the regional business corridors.
Her chain of preschools and training centers has been bestowed with the prestigious Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award for being not only a Centre for learning, but also for excellence, and is poised to deliver on that and more.
A Lifetime Of Learning
Born in Abu Dhabi to a first-generation entrepreneur, Dr Gandhi was raised in the cosmopolitan, cultured environment that the city is famous for, Her father, the late Kumar Gandhi, was a successful and respected businessman who ran his shipping and logistics company and was well established as an industrialist.
Dr Gandhi’s life today is a testament to the fact that she inherited not only his logical bend of mind but also his grit, self-reliance, and determination.
A rich and diverse educational background also saw the independent entrepreneur graduating with a PhD in Education and Leadership.
Her qualifications and fiscal acumen meant that she placed very quickly into a position at one of the best financial institutions in the nation, Citibank.
Once she got started there, her hard work and incisive intellect saw her rise to the position of Resident VP of Citibank, garnering numerous awards along the way.
Milestones In Professional Growth
Perhaps it comes as no surprise that Dr Gandhi’s time in the education sector saw her wreathed in honours and recognitions from the UAE government, like the Dubai Quality Award, Human Development Award, and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award twice, which is illustrious in the extreme.
She also bears the distinction of being the first Indian woman to receive the Emirates Woman Award for Business Excellence for innovation in preschool education.
On an international scale, Dr Vandana has earned the coveted Global Women in Leadership Award at WIL Economic Forum, and the Feigenbaum Leadership Excellence Award. She is a YPO Dubai member and currently serving the board. She is also the chair of the Early Years Council at HCT UAE.
Grounded In Success
A decisive feature that sets Dr Gandhi apart from most is her vibrant belief in growing through learning for the duration of one’s entire life.
A decided advantage under any circumstances, it enabled her to cultivate and support her professional decisions with information and verve.
Bearing this in mind, it is easy to imagine that her decision to start the British Orchard Nursery (BON) was based on intensive research and a powerful drive to accomplish her goals thoroughly and adroitly.
That explains why today BON has blossomed into more than just a successful business under Dr Gandhi’s care.
Its well-thought-out EYFS British curriculum, large campuses, learning journals and award-winning baseline assessments in line with latest Ofstead (UK) framework and tech-savvy teaching methods encapsulate everything a child needs to stay knowledgeable, alert, and well-learned.
A visual representation of UAE as a tree would find BON branches in almost every established community, skyrocketing children’s accessibility to quality learning within the whole nation.
As the largest and the only ISO Quality, Health and Safety certified nursery chain in the country, it delivers decades of condensed professional expertise from researchers in Early Childhood Care and Education in the UAE.
World Class settings see highly trained staff impart knowledge and care to their wards. Dr Gandhi puts her money where her mouth is in her approach to learning as a lifelong companion.
She earned distinction for her masters and PhD in Education and Leadership from University of Birmingham (UK).