Meet The Team

Rajesh is a local Singaporean entrepreneur with a varied international career. He started as an aerospace engineer and moved to the corporate world before embarking on his entrepreneurial journey about 10 years ago. He has a track record of building businesses in many different sectors, from medical tech to e-commerce and sports. He is a father to 3- year- old twins and spent over 13 years in Spain.

“Sports and football in particular played a key role in my life. I now have two daughters and I hope that they are as passionate about sports as I am. I think that women’s football in particular is underdeveloped here in Singapore and the region. I want the Barca Academy to actively promote women’s football.”

Jordi is a serial entrepreneur from Barcelona, with a strong track record of founding and operating tech unicorns.  He used to be part of FC Barcelona where he was charged with growing their online and digital business globally. He is father to 2 boys aged 9 and 11 who currently play at the Barca Academy. Football is in his DNA, having been a junior player in Barcelona School.

‘I think football is the most open sport in the world. Everyone can join, and anyplace can be the field. I love FCB values. Team work, ambition, effort and humility. Those values work to play football and what is more important work to have a successful life.’

Paul Santos is Managing Partner of Wavemaker Partners, Southeast Asia’s go-to early-stage VC for enterprise and deep tech, with over US$180 million in assets under management (AUM) across three funds, and close to US$700 million in total exits. Paul is a football fanatic and an avid fan of Barca. He has a teenage son who plays football competitively.

“We have big plans for the new Barca Academy. We want it to grow into something much more than just a football academy. We want it be the foremost sports academy in South East Asia with a wide supporter base and footprint throughout the region. We are also planning to provide scholarships to talented players who may not normally be able to attend these types of premier academies in Singapore.”