Raffles Education appoints CEO's son to oversee Europe operations

PRIVATE school operator Raffles Education has appointed a young assistant vice-president to oversee its operations in Europe, with the key task of developing its new campus in Switzerland.

In a filing to the Singapore Exchange before the market opened on Tuesday, Raffles Education said that it has appointed 25-year-old Chew Han Wei as assistant vice-president of Raffles 4 Vallees SA. He is the eldest son of chairman cum chief executive of the group Chew Hua Seng.

The younger Mr Chew's appointment - an executive one - comes into effect on Jan 1 next year.

A graduate of Cornell University and Stanford University, Mr Chew will be responsible for developing the group's new campus at Nendaz, Switzerland, and for the business development and operations of the group's businesses in Europe.

Late last year, Raffes Education announced that it had acquired land and several properties in Nendaz for 29.12 million Swiss francs (S$39.8 million) to set up hospitality management, design and International Baccalaureate schools.

The private education provider said the expansion into Europe is in line with its "progressive morphing" into three related businesses to drive growth - being a premier private education provider, management of education assets and facilities and education-related real estate investment and development.