LLF is led by its Founder and Executive Director Dr. Dhir Jhingran. A former officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Dr. Jhingran took voluntary retirement after three decades of service to work in education full-time. While serving in the government, Dhir played an instrumental role in policy-making within the Ministry of Education at the national level. His contributions extend to the development and implementation of early-grade reading initiatives in various countries across Asia and Africa, as well as the establishment of first language-based multilingual education programs in several Indian states. Notably, his work focuses on conceptualizing and executing large-scale programs to bring about transformative and sustained improvements in the quality of school education.

As a member of the National Steering Committee for the development of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), he actively participates in shaping the educational landscape of India. Dr. Dhir Jhingran has authored three books on primary education, drawing from empirical research, and has contributed to numerous books and journals, further solidifying his stature as a thought leader in the field of education.