The Vantage Best in Class advisory team in Bulgaria provides strategic guidance to the CEOs of Maple Bear related investments in Central & Eastern Europe. Luc and Pavel are board members in either an executive or non-executive capacity in Maple Bear Polska, Maple Bear Czechia and Maple Bear Central & Eastern Europe. The team also oversees the financial reporting from each of the subsidiaries and assists with debt and equity fund raising initiatives.
Chairman
Luc holds an MBA from the INSEAD Business School in Fontainebleau, France. He studied for his undergraduate economics degree at the Institute for Political Studies in Paris.
CFO
Board Director
Legal Counsel
Hristina Panteva is an attorney at law with more than 7 years of corporate law and litigation experience. Hristina holds a master degree from the Sofia University in Bulgaria in Law with the following three specializations: Administration of Justice, International Law and International Relations, Public Administration. Hristina also holds a master degree in European Union Law (Sofia University). Hristina is a certified mediator in the approved list of the Ministry of Justice, Bulgaria. Hristina is a Director at the Institute of Legal Information – a Bulgarian NGO.
Director of Teacher Recruitment, Mentoring & Professional Development
Liz Kazimowicz is a highly experienced Canadian educator who brings her passion, experience and expertise to Maple Bear. She had a successful career with the Dufferin-Peel CD School Board as a teacher, curriculum consultant, principal and superintendent of education. Liz had direct responsibility for operations and instructional leadership at elementary and secondary schools in diverse communities. Her portfolio included the development of a system wide leadership strategy and a coaching/mentoring program for newly appointed school administrators.
At the provincial level, Liz was an Education Officer and Private School Inspector with the Ontario Ministry of Education, SOQP Practicum Adjudicator and Adjunct Professor at York University.
Liz holds a Master of Science in Education, a Bachelor of Education, and a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Financial
Manager
Denitsa Getova joined Vantage Best in Class in March 2023. She has worked for Deloitte for over 5 years in the Audit & Assurance Department in Bulgaria. She graduated with a BA degree from the American University in Bulgaria with double major in Business Administration and Political Science and International Relations, and a minor in Marketing. She is currently obtaining the ICAEW Chartered Accountant qualification (ACA)
Maple Bear Central & Eastern Europe is dedicated to assisting Maple Bear franchisees to launch and develop their Maple Bear businesses in the region. They provide in-depth academic support to the management and teaching staff of each of their franchisees. They assist Maple Bear businesses to develop their business plans, find properties, launch their schools and run them efficiently in accordance with Maple Bear Global standards.
General
Manager
Yann has over 17 years of experience in entrepreneurship in Eastern Europe. His greatest venture so far is TELUS International Europe, formerly named CallPoint, for which he co-founded in 2006 the Romanian affiliate. With the acquisition of CallPoint by the Canadian technology company TELUS International in 2012, he became Member of the Board of Director and Country Director for Romania until 2017. Today the Canadian company currently employs around 2,000 team members in Romania.
Since 2018 his focus went from IT & Customer services to Impact Entrepreneurship, investing in tech for good companies in Europe and other continent. Consequently, he joined the French Tech global community, which he serves as Co-Founder and Vice President for Bucharest.
In 2019 Yann co-founded a joint venture with the large and fast-growing education network Maple Bear Canadian Schools, to create Maple Bear Central & Eastern Europe, headquartered in Sofia Bulgaria. The Maple Bear network includes more than 560 schools in 35+ countries offering bilingual, high quality, Infant care, Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary and Secondary education, based on practices that place Canadian education among the top on the planet. Maple Bear is proud to bring the best of Canadian education to 51,000 students around the world.
In 2022 he signed a 100M Euro investments partnership with Vantage Capital partners to develop a network of 50 Maple Bear schools in Poland and Czech Republic.
In 2023 Yann has co-founded and his board member of the Canadian-Bulgarian Chamber of commerce, CanCham.
Director of
Communications
Director Implementation and Operations
Development
Director
Academic
Director
Franchise Expansion
Director
Mateo is an executive with significant international experience in expansion, business development and strategic sales in educational franchised companies and technology companies in Europe and Latin America.
Before joining MB CEE as Franchise Expansion Director, Mateo lived and worked in different countries of Latin America for 18 years, holding management positions in company growth, business development and expansion. The last four years he was Head of Expansion for Maple Bear Latam where he served franchises in México, Perú, Guatemala and Paraguay.
I have always considered myself a professional of education with teaching and business experience. I graduated in English Language and Literature in Barcelona, started my professional career as a teacher of kids and adults; then worked for a British educational publisher, an international chain of franchised language schools and finally for Maple Bear, bringing first quality education to make an impact in the region.
Mateo speaks Spanish, English and Portuguese and lives in Spain with his wife and family.
Maple Bear Polska plans to develop over forty Maple Bear schools across the country. It is already in advanced discussions on establishing Maple Bear schools in Gdansk, Wrocław, and Krakow and has a pipeline of opportunities that includes a number of other towns and the capital city, Warsaw.
CEO
Grzegorz Esz joined Maple Bear Polska and was is directly involved in securing the first sites for the Maple Bear Polska schools in the country. Grzegorz is an experienced business executive who has held board level positions in large corporations such as TDC, Softbank, T-Mobile, MTS Russia, Netia, UPC Poland and Showmax Central Europe. He also has an impressive entrepreneurial resume which included includes launching Heyah, a new pre-paid brand for T-Mobile and starting a new video streaming platform for Showmax which was larger than Netflix in its first year.
Grzegorz has significant experience in real-estate which included developing multi-billion dollar real-estate projects in Russia and several projects in Poland.
Board Director
Andrzej is the founder of Impera Alfa, an early stage investment fund established in Poland, focusing on innovative projects within SaaS, Food Tech, EV Tech sectors. Andrzej is an executive member of the board and has completed over ten investments and two exits since establishing the fund in 2017. In 2010, Andrzej became partner and executive member of the board with Impera Seed Fund in Warsaw.
Prior to joining Impera Seed Fund, he was an executive board member of BBI Capital NFI, one of 15 Funds established by Treasury which later became public through listing on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Prior to joining BBI Capital, Andrzej as a CEO of PPWK cartographic publishing house was responsible for SPO on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and acquisition of three companies.
Andrzej holds an MSc in Finance and Banking from Warsaw School of Economics.
Board Director
Adam is the founder of several early-stage investments funds such as Vivex Investment, Impera Capital and Impera Alfa. Adam is also a private investor investing in a number of projects in the educational, telecommunications, transportation and property business sectors.
Prior to becoming an active investor, he worked for the telecommunication industry, firstly in Poland, where he served as a director of Marketing and Sales, Private Market for Era GSM, and later in Ukraine where he took the position of CEO of the largest Ukrainian mobile operator, UMC. Before his career in the telecommunication field, Adam worked for the Australian Trade Commission as a Trade Commissioner and a Consul.
Adam graduated with honours from the University of South Australia, majoring in Finance and Marketing as well as from Main Economic School in Warsaw.
School Director
Maple Bear Katowice
Izabela is an education specialist from Poland with 23 years of experience, demonstrating extensive commitment and expertise in the field. Throughout her career, she has significantly contributed to various educational institutions and projects.
Izabela began her career as a teacher of history, ethics, and social studies at the Stanislaw Staszic School Complex in Zawiercie, where she skillfully coordinated and managed numerous projects. Her passion for educational leadership led her to take on the role of managing director at the same institution, where she distinguished herself in project implementation, brand communication, and staff training. She played a key role in shaping the school’s long-term plans and supporting development initiatives.
Moving into the corporate sector, Izabela worked as project coordinator for initiatives such as “Silesian Professionals” and “Modern Vocational Education,” demonstrating her proficiency in preparing reports, analyzing market trends, and managing client relationships. Her diverse skills and dedication to excellence were evident throughout her tenure coordinating various educational projects.
Izabela’s academic journey reflects her dedication to continuous learning and professional development. She holds postgraduate qualifications in computer science teaching, educational management, and public relations, among others, from esteemed institutions such as the University in Częstochowa and the Pedagogical University in Krakow.
Izabela’s extensive skill set includes proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite, strong organizational abilities, effective communication skills, and leadership prowess.
School Director
Maple Bear Kraków
Graduated with a master’s degree in history, holds a first-degree diploma in history teaching. She completed postgraduate studies in educational management and organization, European education, and family life education. She is the author of educational videos of the Educational Reform video library on methods and techniques of pedagogical work issued by the Ministry of Education, lesson plans, publications and educational and European projects. She has 12 years of experience as a director at all educational levels.
Her work with children to date has been recognized and rewarded by the Society of Friends of Children, which has twice awarded Ms. Pszczoła with the Friend of Children Badge and the Dr. H. Jordan Medal. Also, the Ronald Mc Ronald Foundation and the Chapter of the Order of St. Stanislaus awarded her many years of work as an educator, teacher and director for the benefit of education and culture.
With her experience in running schools and kindergartens, high qualifications and commitment, she will contribute to the development of the new Maple Bear kindergarten in Krakow, where the program is focused on the students, their safety and passion for lifelong learning.
School Director
Maple Bear Wrocław
Just after Bachelor’s degree in English Studies she graduated with a Master’s degree in specialisation for caring and educational pedagogy with sociotherapy. Following her passion for education, she decided to develop her professional skills so she did her postgraduate studies in education management and organization.
She started her career almost 15 years ago. Starting as a teacher’s assistant, then gaining experience as a teacher for many years, she became a principal as a result of her passion and many years of experience in successfully running kindergartens and schools.
Monika is passionate about education. Everything she does and every decision she makes will be based on what is best for the students. Her goal is to create a safe, welcoming, respectful learning environment. Monika is proactive and focuses on creating a campus that goes above and beyond.
Financial
Manager
Agnieszka has many years of experience in running projects in the field of financial reporting, also in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards and in the preparation of consolidated financial statements. She has carried out due diligence reviews of companies before takeovers and acquisitions, as well as forensic reviews to identify abuses and frauds. She is an expert in internal auditing of financial, operational and investment processes. She gained her experience at Aviva, Ground Frost and PwC.
Agnieszka is also the proud founder of Matplaneta – the successful start-up that provides afternoon classes of mathematics and programming for children and teenagers in Poland.
Director for Curriculum Development
Dominik is highly experienced and an expert in the field of education and business consulting. He graduated with a MSc, PHD and Postgraduate Studies for Academic Teachers at Warsaw School of Economic.
With over 20 years of professional experience he worked for major global companies like Coca-Cola, EY, Deloitte, in parallel creating and developing his own training company. At “Europejskie Centrum Doskonalenia Kadr” he personally trains more than 10,000 school principals, state authorities and teachers every year.
He is an author of publications about education, law, risk management and forensics. He is an academic teacher and lecturer at top Polish universities and MBA programmes. Dominik also serves as Education Consultant and advisor for Polish Parliament Members and central authorities.
Real Estate
Manager
Marek joined Maple Bear Poland as property manager. He searches for, acquires and builds properties in which the company will operate schools. He creates property analyses for the company, negotiates contract terms and investigates the possibility of development.
Marek has experience in real estate acquisition, which he gained in retail chains (grocery stores, pharmacies, drugstores), logistics centers (warehouse halls) and freestanding fast food restaurants.
As a civil engineer, he has managed the construction and renovation of commercial premises, warehouse halls and residential buildings.
Marketing
Manager
Legal
Counsel
Inez Krawczynska is an attorney-at-law with many years of experience in corporate law, commercial companies’ law, civil law, law on public trading in securities and litigation experience.
She gained her experience in Polish state-owned companies, public companies Bank Pekao S.A. and Imperio Alternatywna Spółka Inwestycyjna S.A. She was a member of several supervisory boards of companies such as ESKY.PL, Energa Operator S.A., Sjenit S.A., Cosma S.A. Inez possesses extensive experience in investment activities, particularly in servicing publicly traded corporations, and has collaborated with the Financial Supervision Authority, Warsaw Stock Exchange S.A., and the National Depository for Securities.
She graduated from Warsaw University Faculty of Law and Administration. She is a member of the Warsaw Bar Association of Attorneys-at-Law. She also completed the judge application.
Inez is keen on French and Spanish movies, traveling, running and music.
HR Manager
Dorota Sliwa is HR Manager at Maple Bear Poland, where she supports employees with HR matters across Poland. She has over 8 years of work experience in various HR roles, ranging from recruitment to HR administration to business partnering. She applies her master’s degree in psychology in business and her communication skills to support the development and retention of company’s talents. Her competencies include recruitment, training and development, compensation and benefits and employee relations. She gained experience in companies from various industries, including FMCG, consumer electronics, packaging, as well as IT, in international companies like Nestle Polska S.A., TCL Electronics, Packhelp S.A.
Dorota is passionate about creating a positive and inclusive work environment, where people can grow and thrive. She is also interested in learning new technologies and trends in the IT industry, and how they can enhance the HR function. She likes to work in a dynamic and innovative organizations that values diversity, collaboration, and excellence.
Marketing
Consultant
Karol is an advertising strategist and creative producer with over 10 years of experience in global network agencies. He was responsible for communication strategies in Poland for brands like McDonald’s, Unilever, Brown-Forman, BNP Paribas and Porsche. He has been awarded with 2x Golden Effie, Silver Effie, Silver Innovation Award and multiple Gold, Silver and Bronze MIXX Awards.
For the last few years Karol has specialized in content management for pop-culture brands and cinema projects. He has been in charge of all Showmax movies & series campaigns in Poland. He is currently involved with the audiobooks industry, where he is responsible for creative production.
At Maple Bear Polska he is responsible for the advertising strategy and localization of global assets.
Marketing
Consultant
Mateusz is a digital marketing expert with over 8 years of experience. Over the past few years, he has worked with numerous companies in various industries, including pharmaceutical, film, education, fashion, retail and e-commerce.
Mateusz has also worked with some of Poland’s most well-known public figures – celebrities, politicians, athletes and actors. To help brands grow, he is involved in marketing strategies, content creation and digital campaigns.
Maple Bear Czechia plans to develop up to twenty Maple Bear schools across the country targeting key cities such as Prague, Brno, Ostrava as well as some smaller towns.
CEO
Jiří Zelenda joined Maple Bear Czechia recently as its founder and CEO. He has worked at Scio for over 11 years, the last three years as CEO. Scio has been plying the waters of education since 1995 and is behind the establishment of the innovative ScioSchool, as well as a number of projects for schools, parents and children. It is the implementer and guarantor of National Comparative Exams (NCE are similar to the SAT in the USA).
Jiří studied History and Vietnam studies. He and his wife are raising two children.
Board Director
Petr has more than ten years of experience in school management and was responsible for developing a bilingual curriculum in the private schools’ network in the Czech Republic as well as being tasked with the daily running of a school.
For the last seven years he worked as a director of a bilingual high school in Prague.
He is now involved in a programme for future school principals with the Czech ministry of education. Petr studied geography and history. He and his wife are raising three children.
Board Director
Richard is a seasoned investment and finance professional with many years of experience in the field of private equity, investment banking, corporate finance and capital markets.
Richard started his career in Commerzbank Prague in the structured finance department in 1999. Over the next 24 years, he held various positions at large international institutions such as BNP Paribas, where he developed business relationships and executed transactions with major corporate clients. For several years, Richard also worked in PPF Group, a leading CEE private equity company, where he was involved in all major investments of the group and led key capital markets transactions, including acquisition financings, bond issues, and securitization of asset portfolios. Prior to co-establishing TriStar Capital Management in 2022, Richard headed corporate banking and specialised finance division of Sberbank Czech Republic and subsequently from 2019 helped GAIN Financial Group with building its healthcare division under the name Innova Heathcare. In this role, Richard was responsible for the group’s acquisitions, corporate restructurings, financial management, and external funding.
Richard Paulík is a recognized graduate of the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh in the USA and the University of Economics in Bratislava, He speaks English and German.
Board Director
Jaromir is a visionary business leader and transformational manager with particular interest in innovative and high impact investment themes. He and his team participated in a number of high impact initiatives across the CEE and Africa.
Jaromir has decades of experience in the investment management industry with a professional background in finance, banking and corporate restructuring. He is a Managing Partner of Chayton Capital LLP, a globally operating private equity firm focused on sustainable investment strategies, and provides expert and board level supervision in a number of dedicated investment vehicles. Prior to joining Chayton in 2009, he co-founded an investment management advisory focused on emerging markets. Prior to that he served as a Board Member with Dexia infrastructure finance group in the Czech Republic, and as a Senior Officer in the Treasury and Capital Markets with Raiffeisenbank. He also gained substantial corporate restructuring expertise as a Manager with Deloitte consulting team.
Jaromir studied Private Equity and Venture Capital at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and holds an MBA from INSEAD, as well as an MSc. and a PhD. in Management, Organizational Theory and Corporate Governance from the University of Economics in Prague. His field of interest also includes cognitive sciences, applied bio-tech and sustainable technologies. He is a passionate traveler and a long distance runner.
School Director
Maple Bear Olomouc
In his professional life, Lukáš combines managerial skills, while also having a solid foundation in education and practice in pedagogy.
He has been engaged in pedagogical activities for a long time, lecturing and leading graduate theses in the field of pre-school and out-of-school pedagogy. He is also the co-founder of a successful technology startup. In his free time, he continues to study, for example he obtained a prestigious certification from Harvard Business School and studied English and Russian philology at the Palacky University in Olomouc.
School Director
Maple Bear Brno
Martin has been working in the field of education for more than 15 years.
He started his career as a primary school teacher, later became a developer and methodologist of textbooks and a lecturer of courses for school children.
Since 2012, he has worked at Scio, where he actively participated in the Learning Progress Maps project, which was awarded the EDUina prize and focused on formative assessment.
He also initiated and led a project whose goal was to develop teachers in the field of using technology in teaching.
He also dealt with the issue of children’s emotional intelligence and is the author of the sequel to the successful book and school aid Emusaci. He has been a member of Scio’s executive management for the past nine years.
Real Estate Manager
Iveta has joined Maple Bear Czechia to run the searches, property analysis and development of the school buildings. She is originally an architect with wide experience as a project manager in architecture and development. Her main projects were in hospitality and education for internationally well-known brands and top-tier operators. She has the experience to run a project from initial idea until the final execution.
She is an extrovert with passion in travelling, fine arts and gastronomy.