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THE

LEADERSHIP

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The Rain Makers

Our executive leadership team combines decades of hands-on experience whose vision and commitment form the backbone of Vineyard’s track record of success. Our leaders are accountable for meeting our strategic priorities. They act in the best interests of our clients, colleagues, and shareholders. Their decisions and interactions reflect the strong collaborative and cohesive culture of our firm.

Meet the Team

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Founding Partner

DR. ALIAS JACOB

Dr. Jacob, an expert in Strategic Organizational Development & Business Transformation, is the Founder of Vineyard with over 40 years of professional industry experience comprising Executive Management & Directorial roles as Chief Strategy Advisor, Chief Financial Officer and Board Director to government, semi-government and private entities such as Etisalat, Sharjah Municipality, Bee’ah, and ZANTEL. After founding Vineyard in 2003, Dr. Jacob’s stellar career has spanned sectors across management consulting, strategic advisory, business turnaround, environment and sustainability, real estate, financial services, equity & debt restructuring, project financing, etc. He successfully developed and implemented several major citywide strategic programs and municipal projects, one of which led to the creation of a UAE based PPP company in partnership with the Government of Sharjah and private investors.

 

Currently fully engaged with Vineyard, he leads strategy, financing, and business transformation projects, forging partnerships and facilitating Joint Venture projects in education, agriculture, technology, healthcare, and hospitality. Apart from these business ventures, he is also actively involved in global CSR projects and is a board member and director at various charity foundations aimed at supporting orphans, widows, underprivileged communities and developing sustainable villages across Africa and Asia.

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CEO - North America

CHRISTOPHER ALIAS

Christopher is a senior partner of Vineyard group of companies and manages various operations in North America. His core competencies is in providing tailor made solutions as per client's needs across various industries. An established professional with a strong business acumen with over a decade of work experience in Business & Finance, Oil & Gas, Sourcing & Procurement, IT, Waste Management, Education & Real Estate. His passion is ultimately in helping individuals or companies reach their goals.

He has a mixed education in the discipline of engineering and business. He completed his studies in Electrical Engineering from the American University in Dubai, Bachelors of Science in Business from the University of Phoenix, Arizona and his Masters of Science in Energy from Heriot-Watt University, UK. After completing various certifications in IEEE initiated programs, Project Management, LEED certification and Real Estate. Christopher is currently based in Dallas, Texas, heading operations in North America with a focus on Education, Sourcing & Procurement and Real Estate.

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CEO - Middle East

CALVIN ALIAS

Calvin is a management consultant whose focus is concept development projects in education and waste management. His main areas of work include strategic planning, financial restructuring, financial planning, and debt acquisition. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering from the American University of Sharjah. He also has a Diploma in Management Accounting from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), UK. Calvin is currently based in Dubai, UAE, heading operations in the Middle East with a focus on Vineyard’s education and consulting arms.

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CEO India

G. GEORGE

George is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering with over twenty-four years of vast experience in project management in construction of Power projects and Oil & Gas storage terminals. Apart from working with some of the regions well known consultants, he has also worked with Turner International Middle East for Township projects in UAE. George is currently based in Kochi, India and oversees all of Vineyard’s operations in India.

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CFO

CHRIS RAJU

A qualified accountant, Chris carries 13 years of operational and financial expertise in the educational sector both in the Middle East and India. He has an MBA from the University of Atlanta. A father to two little girls, he thinks needs to pick up martial arts pretty soon.

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Director Marketing & Business Development

CHRIS RAJU

A qualified accountant, Chris carries 13 years of operational and financial expertise in the educational sector both in the Middle East and India. He has an MBA from the University of Atlanta. A father to two little girls, he thinks needs to pick up martial arts pretty soon. Chris has been with the company for many years, working in India and has recently moved and is now based in the United Arab Emirates.

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Director Global Admissions

RHEA MANU

Rhea brings with her a wealth of 18 years’ experience in procurement, logistics, sales, and marketing in the multiple industries in the Middle East and India. She was working with Taj Hotels before joining Vineyard. She has always been passionate about education and has been involved in training and development in the organizations she has been working for. Her focus is on counseling and empowering students to realize the purpose they were meant for in life. Rhea is currently based in Kochi, India and oversees all recruitment for Vineyard Education.

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Director PR & Communications

RENNY JOHN

Renny has been in the PR & Communications industry for over 10 years, he has implemented PR campaigns for a diverse range of industry-specific clients across sectors including IT, construction, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and events & exhibitions. Some of the clients he has worked with over the years are BOSCH, Tech Mahindra, Harman Kardon, Jotun Paints, DANUBE, GITEX, World Future Energy Summit, and Gulf Education Supplies and Solutions. At Vineyard, he is the PR and communications subject matter expert for our clients and also oversees all PR and communications for Vineyard.

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