10. Mark Coggins: Building A Global Education Enterprise

How do you build and scale a global private education business?

In this episode, I sit down with Mark Coggins, former CEO of Kaplan Asia and co-founder of Cranleigh China, to uncover the strategies behind growing education businesses across international markets. 🌍📚

Not only was Mark my boss and mentor at Kaplan, but he also played a key role in shaping my understanding of the private education sector. From investment banker to private education leader, he has successfully applied financial and strategic principles to education, building Kaplan Asia into one of the largest global private education providers across China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia. His insights on running a successful education business are always thought-provoking—proving that great student outcomes at a reasonable cost are possible. 

💡 What you’ll learn in this episode:
✅ Why did Mark transition from a lucrative career in investment banking to education?
✅ What key lessons did he learn while scaling Kaplan Asia across global markets?
✅ What are the mindset differences between public and private education?
✅ What are the four pillars of leadership that drive success in education businesses?
✅ How should education evolve in the era of AI ?
✅ What are Mark’s three biggest life lessons on success, wealth, and legacy?

🎵 Music for this episode 
🎼 Introduction Music: Mark’s Taking Lead in Five
🎼 Ending Song: From Central to Classroom 

The two AI-generated pieces of music are uniquely designed for this episode, echoing the themes of transformation, leadership, and impact. Hope you enjoy the sound of innovation! 🎶

🔗 For more insights from Mark, follow him on LinkedIn: @markcoggins