Behind the businesses.
Leading the group.

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Nasser Benjamin

Nasser is the founder of Reggio Emilia Early Learning Centres and Founder & Chief Executive Officer of RE ELC GROUP. His career brings together architecture, property and early childhood education, combining an entrepreneurial outlook with a detailed understanding of the businesses he has built.

He spent seven years practising architecture, developing a specialisation in childcare design, before moving into real estate. Over the following decade, he progressed to overseeing two real estate offices and managing a team of 15 agents. In 1996, he brought his architectural expertise and commercial experience together to design, secure approval for and build his first childcare centre.

For the next ten years, Nasser immersed himself in every aspect of its operation—from cooking lunch and working with the children to training and mentoring staff, managing finances and maintaining the premises. This hands-on experience gave him a comprehensive understanding of what quality early education requires. The centre achieved a High Quality rating at its first accreditation under QIAS in 1998 and maintained that rating at every subsequent accreditation.

Nasser went on to establish the Reggio Emilia brand, opening a centre in North Parramatta in 2009. Strong demand for its approach to education drove the opening of a second, third and fourth centre across the Parramatta region, establishing Reggio Emilia as a leading local early learning provider. He subsequently expanded into Pagewood, Dee Why and Tempe, growing the business to seven centres across Sydney.

A deep interest in psychology, particularly child psychology, informs Nasser’s approach to early learning. He is passionate about creating environments that nurture children’s curiosity, confidence and sense of belonging, while investing in the educators who guide their development. His leadership places particular importance on mentoring, ongoing learning and a supportive, family-like workplace culture.

Alongside his work in education, Nasser founded RE ELC Management & Development, extending his experience into property planning, construction, renovation and development across Sydney. He combines a designer’s eye, an operator’s practical knowledge and an entrepreneur’s ability to recognise opportunity and bring it to life.

Chief Executive Officer

Andrew Benjamin

Andrew brings experience across commercial law, private equity and early learning development to his role as Chief Executive Officer of RE ELC GROUP. His background combines the analytical discipline of legal practice with practical experience in major transactions, property development and business operations.

Andrew began his career as a lawyer, practising in commercial litigation with a particular focus on building and construction disputes. This work sharpened his ability to navigate complex issues, anticipate risk and approach commercial decisions with precision. It also gave him a detailed understanding of the construction industry and the challenges involved in delivering property projects.

He subsequently spent three years at a private equity firm, overseeing the delivery of a $150 million transaction and the development and handover of 18 early learning centres across New South Wales and Victoria. This experience broadened his commercial perspective, connecting investment decisions with project delivery and operational requirements.

At RE ELC GROUP, Andrew oversees the daily operations of the early learning centres and their teams, alongside responsibility for the property portfolio and development activities of RE ELC Management & Development. He brings a commercially focused, considered approach to leadership, combining attention to detail with a clear understanding of how today’s decisions shape the group’s long-term growth.

Andrew holds a Bachelor of Business and Commerce, majoring in Management, and a Bachelor of Laws.

Group Head of Human Resources

Rochelle Benjamin

Rochelle leads the people function across RE ELC GROUP, shaping how the group attracts, develops and retains the educators and staff behind its centres. Her work sits at the intersection of workforce strategy and one of Australia's most heavily regulated sectors.

She joined RE ELC in 2016 as Business Development Manager, working across the commercial side of the business, including enrolments, marketing, finance and growth. That early insight into what makes a centre commercially successful continues to inform how she supports the people who run them.

As Group Head of Human Resources, Rochelle leads a dedicated HR team and oversees people strategy across the group's Sydney operations. She has built much of the group's people infrastructure from the ground up, and her remit extends into payroll and workforce cost management.