Helal Rahman is the Chairman of the London School of Applied Business and Technology. Born in Bangladesh, he moved to the United Kingdom at the age of 22 and holds dual nationality. He graduated in Social Sciences from the University of Greenwich, London, and has since built an extraordinary career spanning local government, central government initiatives, the private sector, and international philanthropy.
Helal began his career in the Department of Education and Socio-Economic Regeneration at a London Local Authority, rising steadily to senior management roles across the public, voluntary, and private sectors. His career has been consistently defined by a commitment to improving lives through education, economic empowerment, and inclusive governance.
As a Councillor and Cabinet Member of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Helal championed one of his most enduring legacies — the creation of the IDEA Stores, a transformative modern library concept that proved enormously popular with residents and was subsequently replicated across local authorities throughout the United Kingdom and beyond. His political leadership demonstrated the power of innovative public service design to improve everyday lives at scale.
In one of the most significant moments of his public career, Helal served as a member of the ten-person 2012 London Olympic Preparatory Committee, contributing directly to the successful bid that brought the Olympic Games to London — a landmark achievement for the city and the nation.
In the private sector, Helal served as Managing Director and CEO of Eagle Box & Carton Mfg. Co. in Dhaka, one of Bangladesh's largest printing and packaging companies. He is currently Chairman of Klaspad Ltd., a partner organisation of Bangor University facilitating post-graduation courses nationally and internationally, and Chairman of Auditream Ltd., a company providing Blockchain-based education management systems. He is also a Founder Shareholder and Director of NRB Bank Ltd., supporting the Non-Resident Bangladeshi community.
Throughout his career, Helal has remained deeply committed to voluntary and community leadership. He serves as Trustee of the Wakefield and Tetley Trust, working to improve socio-economic conditions around the Tower of London. He is Founding Member, Trustee, and Chairman of Keen Student School, focused on improving educational attainment for minority communities in East London.
He is also Trustee and Chairman of apasen International, a provider of social and community services for people with disabilities from all backgrounds. Registered as an NGO in Bangladesh in 2013, apasen International operates schools across five cities — Dhaka, Sylhet, Ghazipur, Pubna and Khulna — in partnership with BRAC, and runs a Day Centre and British Curriculum school in Sylhet as a joint venture with Phinix School, London.
As Chairman of the London School of Applied Business and Technology, Helal brings his lifelong dedication to education, public service, and international development to an institution committed to creating real opportunity for learners from all backgrounds.