Transnational Academic Group (TAG), which owns and operates Lancaster University Ghana (LUG), is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Dr Franco Gandolfi as Chief Executive Officer – West Africa effective 1st February 2021.

With over 30 years of experience in the education, finance, and pharmaceutical industries, Prof. Dr. Franco Gandolfi has held leadership positions across the world, specifically in Switzerland, Australia, the United States, Fiji, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Prior to his academic career, Prof. Dr. Franco Gandolfi held consulting roles at Novartis, Roche, Credit Suisse, and UBS Bank in Switzerland. Having served as a first lieutenant in the Swiss Army, he honourably retired in 2007 having attained the highest non-active duty military rank in the Swiss Military.
On the appointment as Franco as CEO, Transnational Academic Group Co-Founder Rakesh Wahi said "We are delighted to have Dr Gandolfi join our team in Ghana. TAG has developed a very strong footprint in West Africa and our strategy is to continue investing in capacity building across the African continent. Dr Gandolfi’s addition will strengthen our team and his emerging markets and diverse experience will be valuable to transform and catalyze our growth in the post-COVID era."

TAG provides students access to top-ranked post-secondary and executive education. Over the last decade, TAG has successfully delivered programmes in academic partnership with some of the world’s top ranked institutions, and has had over 2,000 graduates across Africa and the Middle East.

TAG's campus in Ghana, in partnership with Lancaster University, UK provides world-class higher education for students throughout not just West Africa, but from the entire continent. LUG is currently the only UK university branch campus delivering a British degree in sub-Saharan Africa. LUG has a distinctive approach to education focused on developing a creative approach to problem solving, an ethic of service, and the ability to meet any career challenges that lie ahead of its graduates.

Speaking on his new appointment, Franco said “I am deeply honored to be able to join the TAG team in Ghana. We are in the business of developing human capacity to add value to and build nations. West Africa has enormous untapped potential, and I am just so thrilled to partner with the local team to make a positive, sustainable impact on the ecosystem here.”

Prof. Dr. Franco Gandolfi holds a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) by research from Southern Cross University, Australia. He also earned a Post-Doctorate Certificate in Executive Leadership from Cornell University, an Ivy League University in the USA. He obtained his Bachelor's and Master’s Degrees in Commerce from the Swiss Institute of Commerce and Economics, Switzerland. Additionally, he completed his Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Sydney, Australia.