Global School Management Announces Strategic Growth Investment from BDT & MSD Partners

MCLEAN, Va., June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Global School Management (GSM), a leading global education and technology company, today announced a strategic growth investment from BDT & MSD Partners. The investment will support GSM's continued international expansion and further development of its integrated online platform and curriculum offerings. 

Founded by Ron Packard in 2014, GSM's mission is to deliver a world class American, British, or International Baccalaureate education to children from zero to 18 years old anywhere in the world, in a brick-and-mortar, online, or hybrid modality that best meets the needs of each student. Safanad, a principal investor and business builder focused on integrated investment and operational excellence across multiple sectors, served as the founding investor in GSM.

Today, GSM operates more than 190 schools and serves approximately 55,000 K-12 students across the United States, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. GSM is recognized for its fully integrated AMP ecosystem, a proprietary platform that combines curriculum development, advanced reporting and analytics, and scalable operations to deliver exceptional student outcomes across diverse geographies and learning environments.

Ron Packard, Founder and CEO of GSM, said: "This investment marks a new chapter in GSM's growth journey. With the continued backing of Safanad and strategic support from BDT & MSD, we will further scale our model to meet the growing global demand for high-quality education through cutting-edge technology and curriculum."

"We are proud to welcome BDT & MSD as an investor alongside us in GSM," added Kamal Bahamdan, Founder and CEO of Safanad. "This partnership reflects our shared vision for the future of education and our deep respect for the GSM team's innovative approach."

BDT & MSD is a merchant bank that works with business owners and founders to support their long-term strategic and financial goals. The firm's investment reflects its conviction in GSM's differentiated education offering and experienced leadership.

"We are pleased to support GSM's mission of enabling access to high-quality education at scale," said Chris Gleysteen, Managing Director at BDT & MSD. "We have great admiration for what Ron and the GSM team have built and look forward to our partnership with Safanad to fuel this next phase of GSM's growth."

About Global School Management (GSM)
Global School Management (GSM) manages high-quality schools that meet the needs of their communities and the demands of the future. Since 2014, we've helped schools launch, grow, and operate across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, and Africa. With a portfolio of over 190 schools and more than 55,000 students worldwide, GSM delivers flexible, tech-enabled, locally attuned education solutions across early childhood, K–12, and higher education. We handle the complexity—school operations, digital infrastructure, compliance, facilities, staffing, and more—so educators can focus on what matters most: their students. Our mission is to make world-class education accessible, sustainable, and effective at any scale. Whether brick-and-mortar, online, or hybrid, GSM helps schools operate with integrity, efficiency, and impact. Learn more at www.gsmed.com.

About Safanad
Founded in 2009, Safanad is a global holding company combining investment and operational excellence. We develop deep conviction behind investment sectors that have strong macroeconomic tailwinds, build powerful operating platforms to capitalize on these opportunities, and execute on fundamental value creation strategies to drive returns. Safanad invests in impact, with platforms in Education, Healthcare, Digital Infrastructure, and Real Estate. The firm's c. 40 professionals have completed more than 45 transactions totaling $11 billion. For more information, please visit www.safanad.com.

About BDT & MSD Partners
BDT & MSD Partners is a merchant bank with an advisory and investment platform built to serve the distinct needs of business owners and strategic, long-term investors. The firm is distinguished by its decades of experience advising at the intersection of founders, families, and businesses, as well as by its differentiated capital base and culture of aligned investing. For more information, visit www.bdtmsd.com.

For more information, contact:

Courtney Harritt, GSM
[email protected]

Adam Steinberg, Safanad
[email protected]

Sara Evans / Brooke Jaye, BDT & MSD
[email protected] 

SOURCE Global School Management