Frank Maassen

Frank Maassen is the Group CEO at Cognita Schools Group. Prior to this, they were an Operating Partner at OpCapita LLP from September 2019 to August 2021. Before that, they were the CEO / PDG at BUT from April 2013 to October 2018.

Frank has a long history of turning around struggling businesses and making them profitable. Frank did this at BUT by focusing on operational excellence, communication efficiency, and omnichannel orientation. This led to BUT consistently gaining market share, more than doubling profitability, and expanding the network to over 300 stores.

As a Private Equity investment, Frank led the successful exit process from the previous shareholders Goldman Sachs, Colony Capital and OpCapita to the Austrian Lutz Group and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.

Under Frank's leadership, the company culture at BUT massively evolved with the change programme ‘FORCE 6000’. The 6,000 employees (after expansion 7,000) acted as 6,000 engines unfolding an unprecedented entrepreneurial dynamic.

Now at Cognita Schools Group, Frank is using their vast experience to turn around underperforming schools and make them into thriving institutions. Frank is passionate about education and believes that every child deserves a high-quality education regardless of their background or circumstances.

Frank Maassen studied at the Technische Universität München / TU Munich, where they received their Master of Mechanical Engineering. Frank also studied at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, where they received their Dr. rer. pol. in Economics. Prior to that, they attended the Kaiserin-Auguste-Victoria-Gymnasium and Concord High School in Concord, California, where they received their Diploma.

Some individuals on their team include Luiza Sassi - Director of Education, Brazil, Stuart Rolland - CEO, Europe, and Andy Hancock - Director of Education, Asia.