{"id":2069,"date":"2017-01-10T15:51:55","date_gmt":"2017-01-10T14:51:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.lsi.edu\/?p=2069"},"modified":"2018-04-18T17:08:20","modified_gmt":"2018-04-18T16:08:20","slug":"ceo-of-lsi-interviewed-by-pie-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lsi.edu\/index.php\/2017\/01\/ceo-of-lsi-interviewed-by-pie-news\/","title":{"rendered":"CEO of LSI Interviewed by Pie News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pie News,<\/a> a website dedicated to news about International Education, recently approached the CEO of LSI, David Immanuel, to discuss his views on a range of topics from LSI’s background and future plans, the recent company merger, and the current issues and\u00a0\u00a0trends in the Language Training Industry. Here are just a few\u00a0snippets of\u00a0the topics discussed.<\/p>\n

\"DavidImmanuelPieNewsBlog\"<\/p>\n

Pie News:<\/strong> How many language schools do you have now? And how has it changed since you started in 1970?<\/p>\n

David Immanuel:<\/strong> We have 14 schools. And of course I also have the prep school. We started with two schools in London and Paris, and I\u2019ve gradually built it up \u2013 the next one came in Germany, but you could say that my first serious language school was Berkeley in 1979.<\/p>\n

When we organised the school, we modelled it on the Berlitz style of one to one teaching of foreign languages and we did quite well during the 70s, but then gradually English took over and for us the foreign language business in the UK shrank. We still do teach some foreign languages to a few companies but it\u2019s a very minor, minor part of it now.<\/p>\n

And if you had said to me then I would have been doing it 46 years later, I\u2019d have been shocked.<\/p>\n

Pie News:<\/strong> You recently acquired LTC. Is finding schools and acquiring them now is that part of your strategy for expansion?<\/p>\n

David Immanuel:<\/strong> Well it\u2019s slightly opportunistic ,… We work with strong individuals \u2013 the merger is going well. The [LTC] London school has closed by agreement, so we have by default inherited some of the business. I would definitely be interested in other opportunities if\u00a0\u00a0they [mergers]\u00a0came about, not only over here [UK]\u00a0but also in the United States<\/p>\n

Pie News: <\/strong>We\u00a0often hear stakeholders say that general English is dead \u2013 nobody\u2019s interested in it. But others say English remains their biggest seller. Which is the case for you?<\/p>\n

David Immanuel:<\/strong> Yes, I mean it\u2019s our core business. It\u2019s been our strongest year ever in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, so it\u2019s certainly not dead. There are a number of factors tying together have damaged the market: the finishing of the Saudi scholarships; the downturn of the currency in Brazil, Venezuela, Russia; economic problems, sanctions etc, \u2026 but there is a market. And new markets are opening up\u2026 South America opened up, and then Eastern Europe \u2013 there\u2019s Vietnam and there\u2019s the big one, China.<\/p>\n

[In 2016] We opened a flagship school at $10m investment, we bought half a floor in a 20 storey in downtown New York. We\u2019ve decided we are sharing the space now with a software training school, and I was just talking to them last night about a co-operation about programmes. I know there is space for that, but I think learning English will remain our core business<\/p>\n

Pie News: <\/strong>So you talked about diversification, and lots of other people are trying to diversify through pathways. Is your sixth form college [in London] \u00a0a kind of pathway?<\/p>\n

David Immanuel:<\/strong> The sixth form college is really about pathways, but doing it in the way of A Levels. We may well start foundation programmes from that college next year but if we do it, it will be one that\u2019s recognised by the whole group of universities, rather than running around trying to get one university to recognise it.<\/p>\n

Click here <\/a>for the \u00a0full interview on the Pie News Website.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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