Arfan Ismail, PhD
About Arfan Ismail, PhD
Arfan Ismail, PhD, is a Senior Product Manager with extensive experience in product strategy and customer experience. He co-founded a leading index for digital assets and currently holds positions at Turnitin, NCUK, and Star Academies.
Current Role at Turnitin
Arfan Ismail serves as a Senior Product Manager at Turnitin, a position he has held since 2023. In this role, he focuses on understanding customer experiences and needs to identify essential tasks. He collects and analyzes both qualitative and quantitative data to prioritize product requirements effectively. His responsibilities include monitoring product data and metrics to validate impactful product hypotheses, ensuring that the products meet user expectations and market demands.
Educational Background
Arfan Ismail has a robust educational background, having studied at multiple prestigious institutions. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with Honours from The University of Manchester from 1997 to 2001. He then pursued a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics at Newcastle University from 2003 to 2004. Arfan further advanced his studies at Newcastle University, where he achieved a PhD in Applied Linguistics from 2005 to 2011. Additionally, he studied Design Thinking at the University of Oxford.
Professional Experience
Arfan Ismail has extensive professional experience in product management and leadership roles. He has worked at various organizations, including Education Software Solutions as a Product Manager for Data and Analytics from 2021 to 2023, and Xtant Real as Head of Product from 2017 to 2021. He also held the position of Head of Digital at Blackpool and The Fylde College from 2019 to 2021. His earlier roles include Director of Education at Interserve Learning & Employment and Head of Programmes at Education Development Trust in Saudi Arabia.
Leadership and Governance Roles
In addition to his product management roles, Arfan Ismail has taken on leadership and governance responsibilities. He has served as a Non-Executive Director at NCUK - The University Consortium since 2021. He is also a Governor at Star Academies, a position he has held since 2022. Furthermore, he was a Member of the Board of Trustees at Cambridge Muslim College from 2018 to 2021, contributing to the governance and strategic direction of the institution.
Co-founder of Digital Asset Index
Arfan Ismail co-founded the world's premier fundamentally weighted index for digital assets and cryptoassets. This initiative highlights his expertise in identifying market opportunities and developing innovative solutions within the digital asset space. His work in this area reflects his ability to translate market problems into actionable strategies that enhance product offerings and customer experiences.