MEET THE ADVISORS

Mr. Serge Gay has spent thirty years in the education industry, building his expertise and establishing credibility. Firstly, he began as a school headmaster and advanced to Vice-President and Board Member of the Lemania Swiss Group of Schools. Moreover, Mr. Gay was a key driver in the development and expansion of the Lemania Group. That is to say, he played a significant role in setting the group’s strategy and implementing the International Baccalaureate program. In addition, he introduced the boarding school concept at several institutions within the group.

Furthermore, he consolidated the group’s strong presence and reputation in Switzerland. At the same time, he increased Lemania’s brand awareness internationally. Consequently, under the leadership of Swiss School Consulting, Mr. Gay has launched multiple projects in both academic and vocational fields in Switzerland and abroad. He holds a Diploma in Education and a degree in Physical Education from the University of Lausanne.

Similarly, he also has extensive experience in placing students in Swiss schools with boarding facilities or for the day. In short, he successfully provides a personalised service to parents from all over the world who are looking for the best Swiss schools for their child

Mr. Baum has extensive experience in operational and top-level management across several industries in Europe and the USA.

He began his career with Arthur Andersen and later held key positions in the advertising industry. In 1995, he joined a global leader in environmental services, where he developed high-end expertise in Public-Private Partnerships. While at Veolia Environnement, he managed the private investor stake in the Berlin waterworks.

From 2008 to 2014, Mr. Baum held roles in finance, project management, business development, and government relations for Benelux, Germany, and Poland. He served as Senior Executive Vice President for seaport operations and as CEO in inland waterway logistics. Additionally, he led acquisitions, developed fast-growing businesses in the Balkans, and served on various advisory boards, including EMO Bulk Terminal in Rotterdam.

Since 2014, Mr. Baum has been the founder of Riverstream Consult, providing strategic advisory services in Logistics and Public-Private Partnerships. He was also a board member of Union-ALFM, supporting French schools abroad. In this role, he has focused on expanding French education worldwide, especially in Africa, through Public-Private Partnerships.

Moreover, he develops innovative, digitalized educational solutions with Edtech companies. Currently, he acts as Managing Partner of the Paris Office of Swiss School Consulting.

Mrs. Re brings a broad range of experience in operational and financial management across various industries, including the education sector. To begin with, for 17 years, Mrs. Re held several senior finance positions at Digital Equipment Corporation/Compaq, ultimately becoming CFO for Compaq Italy in 2000. Subsequently, she also served at SITA, ORACLE, and ALCOA as Finance, IT, and Purchasing Director for EMEA and Global Business Units.

From 2008 to 2011, Mrs. Re was Senior Vice President and Group CFO at Laureate Education. During this time, she led the Hospitality, Art & Design global business unit, driving growth and strategic acquisitions while strengthening the organization. Furthermore, in 2013, as General Manager of Verbier International School, she spearheaded its acquisition by the Lemania Group in 2014.

Currently, Mrs. Re is a Partner at Swiss School Consulting. In addition, she focuses on entrepreneurial and financial advisory services and is a part-time lecturer in Financial Management for Master’s students at Vatel School in Valais.

She holds a Finance and Economics degree from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan and an MBA from European University, Geneva.

Over the past 20 years, Mr. Kopcsan has created, managed, and developed primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools worldwide. For instance, he has worked with prestigious groups such as Globeducate, Omnes Education, Glion Institute of Higher Education, and Le Cordon Bleu across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Currently based in Sophia Antipolis, France, Mr. Kopcsan provides consulting services to schools and education groups on various topics. These include identifying buyers and investors, creating education market knowledge reports, conducting market surveys, and opening new campuses. Furthermore, he focuses on the development of multi-brand education campuses and commercial development for school furniture designers, language schools, and outdoor learning initiatives.

In addition, he organizes student study trips and offers teaching and lecturing services. Moreover, Mr. Kopcsan brings his expertise and extensive network to Swiss School Consulting. He is actively involved in numerous Swiss and international education projects for the firm.

He holds a Master’s in Management from ESSEC Business School in Cergy, France. He is fully bilingual in English and French and has knowledge of German, Thai, and Japanese.