Kamran R. Kardan

CEO and Founder

Kamran Robert Kardan is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Knowledge E. He founded Knowledge E in 2012, with the aim of providing unique, professional and high-quality services to the information professionals in the Middle Eastern region and beyond.

Kamran has 20 years of experience working in the publishing industry on both the publisher and agency front. Working closely with some of the top consortia, libraries, ministries, hospitals and corporations within research and education in the region, he has experienced the birth and growth of many digital libraries. Driven by his interest in learning societies, he has initiated and participated in the completion of various special development projects.

Kamran holds a BSc in Engineering, an MSc in Marketing with a thesis on ‘Open Access publishing business models’ as well as an MBA from the University of Manchester with a dissertation on ‘The application of Business Model Canvas in university research offices’.

Kamran has an interest in community development and plays an active part in the Knowledge E Foundation, a community interest corporation focusing on supporting education and research-based projects across the globe, with a focus on developing nations.

Therese Bill

Head of Operations

Therese (Tess) Bill joined Knowledge E in April 2016 as the Office Manager. Prior to that, she worked for close to eight years within the technology and real estate sectors across Europe and the Middle East. Tess was soon promoted to Head of Operations where she oversees the efficiency and productivity of all Knowledge E’s administrative and support operations such as Finance, HR, Legal, IT and Marketing.

In her role, Tess has initiated and implemented several unique initiatives at the company involving the wellbeing and the development of the team and continues to play an instrumental part in the overall growth, stability and success of Knowledge E. She was also a driving part of a big Salesforce customisation project at Knowledge E.

Hailing from Sweden, Tess holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the Stockholm School of Business as well as Real Estate Brokerage degree from SLU University. Her areas of expertise and interests include operational efficiency, productivity, complex contracts, organisational culture development, staff engagement, as well as talent acquisition. She is passionate about corporate development, project management and business strategy.

Ahmed Youssef

Head of Sales – Digital Libraries and e-Resources

Ahmed Youssef joined Knowledge E in August 2016 as Business Development Manager and was appointed to Head of Sales for digital libraries and e-resources in August 2019. In his role, he leads the sales division through a client centric approach by developing the required sales strategies, planning and implementation. He structures and manages the portfolio of Knowledge E’s business partners. Most importantly, he leads a team of talented individuals with the mission to exceed the expectations of all Knowledge E’s clients and business partners.

Before joining Knowledge E, Ahmed held multiple regional business development and sales management roles in several industries including pharmaceutical, healthcare consulting and publishing. He has extensive experience in dealing with complex dynamics covering multiple market segments including academia, governments and corporates. Ahmed enjoys working closely with his clients to help them grow, make better decisions and realise their full potential.

Ahmed holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Cairo University and an MBA from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport.

When he is not travelling for business, he enjoys living in Cairo, Egypt spending time with his wife and two daughters.

Samantha Miles

Head of Training and Consulting

Samantha Miles joined Knowledge E in November 2016. As the Head of Training and Consulting, she leads Knowledge E’s training and consulting division by developing business opportunities and overseeing the team to ensure all projects are successfully delivered. She also engages in brand building activities and establishing and maintaining key stakeholder relationships with international and community partners.

Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles in the higher education sectors of the USA, Australia, and the UAE. She has been responsible for the oversight of more than 300 educational programs including a large scale national project for human capital development in the areas of research output and impact, teaching excellence in medical education, and university student enrichment. She possesses 12 years of professional experience ensuring the quality and continual development of programs via strategic planning and ongoing assessment.

Samantha is passionate about experiential education, helping others to realise their own leadership potential, and working with diverse populations. Her research and teaching interests include global dexterity, teaching excellence, leadership development and community engagement. She has been living in Dubai for 5 years and is originally from the USA. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education awarded by the University of Central Florida and a Master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership from Florida Atlantic University.

Caryn Anderson

Training and Strategy Expert

Caryn Anderson joined Knowledge E in February 2020 as an integral member of the training and consulting division. As the Training and Strategy Expert, she leads quality assurance, analysis, and innovation efforts in academic and research excellence as well as designs and delivers capacity building training activities within her areas of expertise. She also regularly contributes her extensive technical and strategic information services expertise to the publishing and digital library and e-resources divisions.

Possessing over 20 years of dynamic experience, Caryn is an award winning professional. As a civic society development specialist focused on knowledge and information services, scientific research quality and impact, and interdisciplinary collaboration she has worked across multiple industries and countries. She leverages her cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary skills to strengthen capacity, effectiveness, and cooperation in higher education, libraries, nonprofits, and governments, especially in developing countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Asia-Pacific.

She is Associate Editor of Library and Information Science Research and a Fulbright Specialist and has published on knowledge management, the global research environment, cross-disciplinary research, information synthesis, and the socio-technical aspects of big data analytics and use. Caryn is motivated by a vision of societies where all members are informed critical thinkers, cooperatively engaged in the social, economic, and environmental health of their communities. She is originally from the USA and holds a BSc from the College of Communication at Boston University and a MSc from the School of Library and Information Science at Simmons University.

Emily Choynowski

Head of Publishing

Emily joined Knowledge E in March 2020 as Senior Editor for KnE Publishing and was appointed as the Head of Publishing in September 2020. Providing editorial guidance and strategic oversight for the publishing division, she is developing the portfolio of publishing services, cementing new partnerships, and offering bespoke consultations and coaching on journal management.

Emily has eight years’ experience in the commercial publishing sector, working first as Editorial Manager and later as Head of Product and Marketing for two world-class macroeconomic research publishers, managing large publishing teams based across the globe.

The move to Knowledge E reflects Emily’s enduring interest in academic research. Since gaining a PhD in English Literature from the University of Bristol in 2012, she has maintained strong ties within the academic community, publishing numerous articles and conference papers, and giving lectures at museums and universities around the world. In addition, she sits on the Editorial Boards of a leading literature journal and a university press.