About Us

Quality Early Childhood Education to Nurture Lifelong Learners

Babilou Family Singapore is a subsidiary of Babilou Family Group, a France-incorporated Early Childhood organisation with a network of more than 1,000 nurseries in the world. Founded in France in 2003 to bridge the gap in childcare solutions, the Babilou Family group has gradually grown to become a leading light in early years education and a major operator internationally.

Babilou Family Singapore has now grown to 62 education and learning centres island-wide. This includes preschool brands KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse and Little Footprints Preschool, as well as student care brand Learning Leap.

Backed by a highly experienced and dedicated management team, Babilou Family Singapore will continue to provide quality early childhood education and cultivate confident lifelong learners.

Julie Koh
President, Babilou Family Singapore
By capitalising on best practices from around the world with our global presence, we aspire to play a better part to make a difference to each and every child's growing journey under our care.

Our Story

Babilou Family was founded in France in 2003 by entrepreneurial brothers Rodolphe and Edouard Carle to bridge the gap in childcare solutions. Over the years, Babilou Family has gradually grown to become the 5th largest private childcare network operator worldwide, with a presence in 10 countries and around 800 establishments, 10,000 employees and 50,000 children in our care.

Babilou Family sets out to support the well-being of children and work-life balance of families at a time of rising birth rates and women in the workforce, with a unique educational promise.

We are driven by the conviction that together, we can have a strong impact on tomorrow’s world through early years education. To bring quality education to families, we partner educational entrepreneurs who share our vision, build close partnerships with public authorities and private enterprises, and remain steadfast in our efforts to innovate as we strive to provide parents with top-quality childcare solutions.

Join us in making a difference through education

Leadership Team

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Julie Koh

President

Julie first set out on her expedition in the early childhood industry to start a quality preschool with a pure and simple wish – that her own children can learn and grow in a conducive and inspiring environment. This desire led to the setup of Kiddiwinkie Schoolhouse, and its success paved the way for the inception of more preschools centres under the Nurture Education Group, now known as Babilou Family Singapore.

With over two decades of experience in the industry, Julie has overseen the acquisition and management of the company's preschool brands. Julie continues to contribute to the industry with her wealth of knowledge, as well as her unwavering passion and patience in nurturing happy and confident children in their formative years.

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Matthias Koh

Vice President, Business Development

As a father of three, Matthias has a great passion for early childhood care and education. He strongly believes in a holistic education where sports and the arts play an integral part in a child’s development.

Using his expertise in business development and investment consulting, coupled with a background in asset management, Matthias successfully raised funds from the private equity market and led the organisation to healthy growth and expansion in the local and regional markets. An avid sportsman, he participated in the SEA and Asian Games for 6 years as a member of Singapore’s National Basketball team.

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Benjamin Busse

Chief Executive Officer

Benjamin, a devoted father of two, finds joy in both his work and every aspect of life.

An engineering graduate from AgroParisTech and with a Master’s degree from ESSEC Business School, Benjamin grew his career with the SODEXO Group, a conglomerate in France specialising in the catering business and childcare services. Throughout his journey spanning over 13 years, he was responsible for growing the operations and business development.  Benjamin eventually rose to become the Regional Director & Head of Development at Creche Attitude, a subsidiary of SODEXO with a vast network of private childcare centres, where he oversaw 50 childcare centres throughout France and managed a team of more than 500 staff.

He joined Babilou Family Singapore in 2020 as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and then evolved to assume the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead Babilou Family toward being recognised as a qualitative leading private preschool operator in the region through its key brands.

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Dawn Leo

Chief Finance Officer

Dawn Leo leads the finance team in accounting, financial reporting and analysis, and sets up the financial system and procedures to ensure smooth and efficient operations that comply with statutory requirements and regulations.

With more than 13 years’ experience in The Big Four, she has also been involved in auditing, business improvements, deal structuring, due diligence, working capital and related financing analysis. Dawn graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor of Accountancy, and is a non-practicing member of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants.

 

Laraine Heng

Laraine Heng

Director, Human Resources

A progressive HR Leader and Professional with proven experience in various companies across multiple industries, Laraine has demonstrated ability in strategic and hands-on operations and successes in driving complex and large-scale HR projects. As a person who enjoys challenges, she is a determined go-getter who transforms strategies into actions and brings them to fruition. 

A business graduate majoring in Management from the National University of Singapore, Laraine embodies a commitment to continuous learning and team development. She finds motivation and joy in her role as the HR voice that connects businesses with the most important assets in organisations - People!

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Lena Soh

Director, Digital Marketing & Sales

Graduated with a Business degree major in Marketing from Monash University, Lena has more than 20 years of success in integrated marketing, sales, and  strategic business partnerships.

She successfully spearheaded marketing campaigns with an emphasis on championing the brand and expanding customer base.  As an experienced marketer, she believes in keeping herself abreast of the  ever-changing marketing landscape in order to innovate and strategise  constantly.

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Thomas Meva

Director, Digital

Graduated from Sorbonne University in Corporate Finance and ISC Business School in IT Project Management, Thomas has been instrumental in helping companies in their digital transformation efforts in the past decade. During his time at Microsoft and Accenture, his focus was on meeting the needs of the business and employees through innovative and cost-effective solutions. 

With experiences gained across a broad range of industries from logistics and banking to the luxury sector, Thomas took the leap to embrace a meaningful journey with Babilou Family, starting with France and now in Singapore where he lends his expertise and skillset to the team.

Rowena Ramos

Rowena Ramos

Head of Curriculum

Inspired by the educators who shaped her journey, Rowena embarked on a path in education, steadily expanding her professional portfolio over the years. Having earned her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College in Boston, Massachusetts, she assumed the role of mentor teacher, guiding novice educators through their inaugural year with skill and dedication, fostering the growth of future leaders within the field.

With invaluable experience under her belt, Rowena now spearheads the Curriculum Department to ensure curriculum quality while leading the team in developing innovative programmes and delivering enriching training sessions for fellow educators. Additionally, Rowena is currently undergoing training to obtain certification as a Developmental Play Practitioner, further enhancing her expertise in the field.

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Xaviera Lim

Director, Operations

In her endeavour to advocate respect and empowerment in the Early Childhood sector, Xaviera has 19 years of experience to date. She is the first point of contact for cluster managers and internal stakeholders within different tranches of the organization, on operational matters.

Skilled in communicating recommendations and concerns succinctly, Xaviera strives to improve the company processes and growth in operations.

Our brands and centre locations