Cairneagle celebrates 25 years with Victoria and Albert Museum event and education awards
Cairneagle has celebrated its 25th anniversary. As the education consultancy marks its latest milestone, it has hosted an event for staff and clients at the Victoria and Albert Museum – and picked up multiple awards along the way.
Founded in 2001, Cairneagle has established itself as a strategy consultancy in education. Supporting both organisations and investors, its work spans education ecosystems globally, from early years and K-12 schools to higher education, professional learning, education services and education technology.
The London-based firm supports clients on growth strategy, market entry, mergers & acquisitions, commercial due diligence, and long-term value creation. Over the last five years, Cairneagle has delivered over 350 projects for clients across more than 45 countries.
Cairneagle is driven by a belief in the transformational power of education for individuals and society as a whole, including its capacity to change lives, enable social mobility, drive economic growth and strengthen the fabric of communities. According to a release from the firm, these create both commercial opportunities and challenges, and for 25 years, the consultancy has been “at the forefront of helping its clients navigate change, weigh their options and create lasting impact.”
To celebrate this milestone, Cairneagle marked its 25th anniversary on the evening of 9 June with an event at London’s iconic Victoria and Albert Museum. The evening brought together more than 300 clients, relations, colleagues and alumni to celebrate the firm’s achievements and to reflect on the future.
The event was hosted by partners Arun Kanwar, Jorge Amirola, Sam Lecacheur, Ian Koxvold, Rupert Barclay and Fionnuala Duggan.
A track record recognised by the sector
Cairneagle’s consistent contribution to the education sector has been recognised by the industry on numerous occasions. The firm has won in the consulting category at the EducationInvestor Awards eight times, most recently in June 2026, reflecting its long-standing reputation for strategic insight and sector expertise.
The judges commented, “Cairneagle is a true pan-sector expert which has managed to grow its business and its team without any detriment to the excellence of its work or its ability to retain clients.”
In May, Cairneagle was recognised as one of the UK’s leading education consultancies by industry platform Consultancy.org, earning a place in the highest tier.
Alongside the firm’s success, the past 12 months have also been a landmark period for Kanwar. In December 2025, he was named Consultant of the Year at the inaugural EducationInvestor Power List, which celebrates the most effective, influential and inspiring leaders across the education sector. In April this year, he received further recognition when he was awarded Consultant of the Year at the inaugural Nursery Management Today Power List Awards, acknowledging his contribution to the early years sector and his work supporting organisations across the childcare and education landscape.
Looking ahead, he commented, “It’s a genuine privilege to support our clients with their most business-critical commercial decisions. Our team looks forward to continuing our mission to assist those who improve the outcomes for learners and society.”
