Learning Needs Strategy
Who We Are
Allana Advisory partners with public and private organizations and individuals across the Middle East, delivering advisory services and products at the intersection of strategy and education.
Our work is grounded in over a decade of strategy and education experience across the UK and Middle East, covering K-12 education, higher education, professional training, and learning and development for consulting and business skills.
We have supported schools, universities, professional colleges, non-profits in the education sector, and education technology companies to develop long-term strategies, assess the feasibility of new ventures, and support fundraising and expansion planning.
For detailed information on our former clients and projects, please contact us.
Our Services
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Education Strategy
Pure education strategy projects such as school strategy, academic planning, admissions strategy, and new program launch
Executive and Leadership support such as interim Chief of Staff, 100 Day Plan development for new Executives, and new office or department set up
Surge support by integrating into the client team and providing high quality, senior-level problem solving and analysis at speed
Strategy workshops by bringing together education experts from our network for vision setting, project planning, and more
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MECE Consulting Training
Through our learning platform MECE (Middle East Consulting Excellency) we curate and deliver strategy and business training for professionals working in emerging markets.
We equip professionals with structured problem-solving skills for fast-paced, data-scarce environments covering messaging, slide building, quant skills, and more.
MECE programs are built and facilitated by MBB alumni, who run their own consulting practices across emerging markets, ensuring high quality, relevant, and market appropriate training.
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Academic and Professional Coaching
We work one-on-one with students and professionals to navigate their academic and professional careers.
University admissions support including undergraduate admissions across UK and ME institutes, and global MBA programs.
Consulting recruitment support for candidates applying to MBB, Big 4, and other strategy houses globally.
Academic and career guidance for professionals and students, combining personal mentoring with strategic support to help individuals identify and achieve their goals.
Our Philosophy
We deliver exceptional work through lean, senior, long-term advisory teams, supporting clients from strategy design to implementation. We believe in enabling our clients through close collaboration and by offering our clients learning and development trainings across strategy and business topics.
Core Team
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Karima Allana
Director
Karima Allana, Director, has over a decade of experience in education and strategy consulting.
She has led project delivery with clients across the ME region in education ecosystems, strategies for schools and universities, and innovative models for professional development.
Previously a Project Leader at the Boston Consulting Group and Executive Manager of a UK-based education NGO, Karima holds an MBA from London Business School.
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Akshata Prabhu
Director of MECE
Akshata Prabhu, Director of MECE Training, advises clients in consumer products, private equity, and innovation across the Middle East.
She is a former Bain & Company Manager, Employee #3 at a global celebrity beauty brand, and a founder of a Morning-Brew recommended newsletter.
Most recently, serving as a global trainer for Bain’s associate programs in Portugal and Spain, Akshata holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad.
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Lauren Reeves
Project Lead and Director of MECE
Lauren Reeves, Project Lead and Director of MECE Training, has a background in education, technology, and venture strategy.
Former McKinsey & Company Consultant, Lauren has led strategy projects at Allan Gray and Revgro Holdings, and has delivered education projects with the Gates Foundation and for UAE entities.
Lauren delivers consulting toolkit trainings for companies globally and heads strategy for a space venture developed through the Ignite Executive Program at Stanford GSB.
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Holly Zambonini
Senior Consultant
Holly Zambonini, Senior Consultant, has a multidisciplinary background across education, strategy, and design.
She has developed strategy for ME education institutes and is currently developing the 3 year strategy for a leading education non-profit.
Alongside her consulting work, Holly has held roles in visual communications, with an MA from Design Academy Eindhoven and a BA from the Glasgow School of Art in Product Design.