Dr. Nadir Zafar

Dr. Nadir Ali Zafar is Managing Director of Endeavor’s Global Hub in Singapore. Endeavor is a global network of, by, and for entrepreneurs, supporting high-impact founders as they scale their companies and ecosystems. Prior to this, Nadir served as Managing Director of the Singapore Leaders Network (SGLN), where he was pivotal in SGLN’s first three years of growth and in setting the foundation for its future. In this role, he played a key part in building the network and advancing its mission to develop and connect Singaporean leaders for regional and global leadership.

Before joining HCLI, Nadir was Chief Operating Officer at UAE-based education technology company Alef Education. As one of Alef Education’s founding leaders, he helped grow the company from a start-up into an award-winning organisation serving several hundred thousand students. He set up and oversaw the marketing, finance, human resources, legal, audit, procurement, and business support functions. He also spearheaded the company’s expansion into Asia, set up a healthcare program, and launched a new schools management business that was spun off into an independent entity. 

 Nadir’s experience spans over 20 years. Prior to Alef Education, he was at GEMS Education, where he reported directly to the Group CEO and served on the senior leadership team. He was then posted to Singapore as Director of Corporate Development, leading admissions and marketing for their Singapore school. In previous roles, Nadir has worked closely with the CEO of one of the largest shipping companies in the world and the CEO of one of the Middle East region’s largest media companies. Nadir has worked in UAE, India, Thailand, and Singapore. 

Nadir graduated with a Bachelor of Business Management (Marketing) from the pioneer batch of the Singapore Management University and holds an MBA from INSEAD. He has also completed a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation at New York University. His past and current leadership experience extends to serving on the Board of a London-listed global education company, President of the Singapore Business Council in UAE, alumni leader for both his alma maters, and founder of an EdTech venture. Nadir is Singaporean.