Jacques Weber
Dallas International School: Head of School
USA
22-Nov-22
The Dallas International School Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Jacques Weber as our next Head of School. Mr. Weber’s cultural agility as an experienced educator, business administrator, and his ability to navigate the American and French accreditation process is recognized as a tremendous asset that will greatly benefit the next phase of growth for Dallas International School. We are delighted to welcome Mr. Weber to our community in July 2023.
Tom Burton
Colegio Anglo Colombiano (Search Associates): Head of Primary
Colombia
22-Nov-22
Tom Burton has accepted the position of Head of Primary at Colegio Anglo Colombiano in Bogota. Tom has been in international education for twenty years and a school principal for the last fifteen. This will Tom’s second period at Colegio Anglo and he is thrilled to be joining a great school!
Richard Carl Wieburg
QSI International School of Guyana: Director
Guyana
21-Nov-22
Mr. Richard Carl Wieburg has accepted the Director position at QSI’s newest school in Georgetown, Guyana. Mr. Wieburg has an extremely long tenure as an education professional. He was an English teacher and basketball coach in the U.S. for thirty years, and then served as a High School principal for ten years. He started his international service as a Director in Bolivia for two years, then in Guatemala for five years before he started the QSI school in Suriname. From there, he served as Director for QSI in Kyrgyzstan for three years before agreeing to start a QSI school in Guyana. His wife, Joeline, is a professional artist and always helps establish art workshops and gives seminars and art lectures in the countries where he works.
Craig Johnston
QSI International School of Togo: Director
Togo
21-Nov-22
Mr. Craig Johnston has accepted the Director position at QSI’s school in Lomé, Togo, where his wife, Debbie, will be teaching elementary students. Mr. Johnston has previously served as a director in both Venezuela and Kazakhstan, though not at QSI schools. They have been working in international education for the past thirty-one years.
Jason McBride
Pearson College UWC: President and Head of College
Canada
17-Nov-22
The Board of Directors of Pearson College UWC is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason McBride as President and Head of College effective August 2023. Jason is currently Head of IGB International School in Malaysia and is deeply familiar with and passionate about the UWC movement through his time as Head of College at UWC Thailand. With more than 20 years experience in highly diverse, CIS accredited and International Baccalaureate continuum schools, he will bring extensive and international experience in educational leadership and intercultural understanding to Pearson College UWC
Yaisa Banek
Tirana International School: Director of Instruction
Albania
15-Nov-22
Mrs. Yaisa Banek has accepted the Elementary Director of Instruction (DI) position at QSI's school in Tirana, Albania, named Tirana International School. Mrs. Banek has served in the DI role for QSI for the last seven years in China and Albania. Mrs. Banek has been in the educational field for the last 15 years, spending seven of those years in primary school administration. Mrs. Banek, and her husband, have three grown children.
Wayne McKelvey
QSI International School of Atyrau: Academic Coordinator
Kazakhstan
15-Nov-22
Mr. Wayne McKelvey has accepted the Academic Coordinator position at QSI’s school in Atyrau, Kazakhstan. His daughter will be enrolled in the 4yo class, and his wife will continue her higher level education. Mr. McKelvey has held many grade level leadership positions in South Korea, Kuwait, and Qatar during his 13 years in international education.
Travis Moore
Almaty International School: Director of Instruction
Kazakhstan
15-Nov-22
Travis Moore is excited to join the team at QSI Almaty International School as the new Elementary Director of Instruction. He is accompanied by his wife Amber, as well as his 14-year-old son Isaac and 8-year-old daughter Keziah. Prior to coming to Almaty, he worked in a number of educational settings, including 3 years at QSI Dongguan. He spent the past 8 years in New York State in a couple of different administrative roles (ESL Coordinator and most recently Assistant Principal).
Sergio Solis
QSI International School of Bishkek: Director
Kyrgyzstan
15-Nov-22
Mr. Sergio Solis has accepted the Director position at QSI’s school in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. His wife, Aliya, has taught at QSI Bishkek and more recently China. They have two children, a 3-year-old boy and a 3-month-old daughter. This is Mr. Solis’ third year with QSI and 13th year aboard. He is excited about taking on this new role and was formerly the Academic Coordinator and MSA Internal Coordinator for QSI Bishkek.
Scott Legan
QSI International School of Sarajevo: Director
Bosnia and Herzegovina
15-Nov-22
Mr. Scott Legan is excited to accept the position of School Director of QSI Savajevo. Scott holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Northern Iowa. Before joining the QSIS community, he was the Director of Instruction (Principal) for the Secondary at Kyiv International School in Ukraine for 8 years. Overall, Scott brings with him more than 20 years of experience in education, including roles as English teacher, IB English and TOK teacher, and IB Coordinator in America, Slovakia, Italy, and Ukraine.
Sarah Cornelius
QSI International School of Chengdu: Director of Instruction
China
15-Nov-22
Sarah Cornelius joined the QSI International School of Chengdu in August 2022 as the Elementary Director of Instruction. This is her 15th year in education and has a teaching background in Educational Technology, with experience teaching all grade levels Pre-K to Grade 12. Sarah is a Third Culture Kid, as her parents were international teachers. Sarah is a career international teacher, who previously taught in Costa Rica, South Korea, and Myanmar.
Ryan Steinberg
QSI International School of Shenzhen: Academic Coordinator
China
15-Nov-22
Mr. Ryan Steinberg has accepted the Academic Coordinator position at QSI’s school in Shenzhen, China, where his wife, Siwen, will be teaching Chinese, and his daughter, Luna, will be attending kindergarten. Mr. Steinberg has been in education for over 10 years and was previously the MYP coordinator at a Canadian International school.
Rachel Geary
Kyiv International School: Director of Instruction
Ukraine
15-Nov-22
Rachel Geary has accepted the position of Director of Instruction at QSI’s school in Kyiv, Ukraine. She has previously served as the Resource Teacher, IB Coordinator and Athletic/Activities at Kyiv International School. Ms. Geary has previously worked in Thailand and Taiwan; she has worked overseas as an administrator and teacher for 30 years.
MaryKay Gudkova
QSI International School of Yerevan: Director
Armenia
15-Nov-22
MaryKay Gudkova is proud to be the new Director of QSI International School of Yerevan, Armenia. She has served as an international school director since 2002 in Europe and Asia. Most recently she was the Head of School at an international school in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Her credentials include administrative and principal certificates from Harvard Graduate School of Education, the City University of Seattle's Albright School of Education, as well as teacher and administrative licenses from the United States. MaryKay is married and has two school-aged sons.
Martin Curry
QSI International School of Djibouti: Director
Djibouti
15-Nov-22
Mr. Martin Curry has accepted the Director position at QSI’s school in Djibouti, Africa, where his wife Oksana will be teaching PE and running the school Library. Martin is in his 16th year with QSI and brings 9 years of administrative experience from his role as an Athletic Director in Kyiv, Bishkek and Almaty, Kazakhstan. Martin has also worked at QSI schools in Shekou, China and Tirana, Albania.
Laura Hayward
QSI International School of Atyrau: Director
Kazakhstan
15-Nov-22
Dr. Laura Hayward has accepted the Director position at QSI’s school in Atyrau, Kazakhstan. With more than 20 years as both an international and provincial educator, she has held leadership positions in Dubai, Shanghai, China; Singapore, Vietnam, Louisiana and Texas. Her husband, Paul, is an officer on a ship, and accompanies her when not at sea.
Joscelyn Benitez
QSI International School of Dongguan: Director of Instruction
China
15-Nov-22
Ms. Joscelyn Benitez has accepted the Director of Instruction (Middle School and Secondary), position at QSI’s school in Dongguan, China. She has been an educator for over 20 years, primarily working with elementary and middle school aged Second Language Learners. She has also served as a Literacy Coach for the Martin County School District in Florida, USA. Ms. Benitez began her international education career as a Middle School Intensive English teacher with QSI Shenzhen.
Jennifer Caires
QSI International School of Dushanbe: Academic Coordinator
Tajikistan
15-Nov-22
Ms. Jennifer Caires has accepted the Academic Coordinator position at QSI’s school in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. She has been an educator for over 20 years, primarily teaching middle school students. She also served as a Professional Learning Facilitator for the Northwest Region of Nevada. Ms. Caires has worked internationally in Slovakia, Ukraine, China, and Azerbaijan.
Jeanne Baca
QSI International School of Bratislava: Academic Coordinator
Slovakia
15-Nov-22
Mrs. Jeanne Baca has been an educator with QSI Bratislava since 2016, and she has most recently served as the Academic Coordinator there since 2020. Before working in administration, she taught a variety of classes and age groups, including 6-year-olds and Intensive English. Originally from Miami, Florida, Mrs. Baca currently lives with her husband and two children just outside of Bratislava where they spend time enjoying the outdoors and visiting family.
Hatidza Sadinlija-Jakupovic
QSI International School of Sarajevo: Academic Coordinator
Bosnia and Herzegovina
15-Nov-22
Mrs. Hatidza Sadinlija-Jakupovic has been an educator with QSI Sarajevo since 2007. She has taught a wide range of classes, from lower elementary to High School Literature and Writing. Since 2015 she has served as the school’s Academic Coordinator. Originally from Perth, Western Australia, where she taught English and Drama, Ms. Hatidza is joined in Sarajevo by her two children and husband. Together they love to travel and explore the Mediterranean coast.
Fidel Garcia
QSI International School of Montenegro: Academic Coordinator
Montenegro
15-Nov-22
Mr. Fidel Garcia has accepted the Academic Coordinator position at QSI’s school in Podgorica, Montenegro, where his wife, Heather will be teaching elementary students. This is their second year with QSI Montenegro. Mr. Garcia also serves as the school’s University Counselor and teaches Cultural Studies. They have worked for 20-plus years in the United States, Malaysia and Montenegro.
Chris Fisher
QSI International School of Phuket: Director
Thailand
15-Nov-22
Mr. Chris Fisher has accepted the Director position at QSI’s School in Phuket, Thailand where is wife also serves as a teacher. Mr. Fisher worked for QSI for four years in the countries of Kosovo and Turkmenistan before assuming this new position.
Cheri Carpenter
QSI International School of Belize: Director
Belize
15-Nov-22
Mrs. Cheri Carpenter has accepted the Director position at QSI International School of Belize. Her husband, Scott, will continue to support the QSI Resource Department, and their son will begin university in the United States. Mrs. Carpenter has served as an administrator for the QSI schools in both Shenzhen, China and Kyiv, Ukraine. This is her twelfth year as an international educator, and she is thrilled to be serving the QSI Belize community in her new role.
Anna Evans
QSI International School of Skopje: Academic Coordinator
Macedonia
15-Nov-22
Mrs. Evans has accepted the Academic Coordinator position with QSI Skopje. She has been a teacher for 18 years, teaching a range of students and subjects in elementary and middle school in the UK and North Macedonia. This is her 7th year with QSI Skopje where she and her family have lived for 13 years. She is thrilled to be serving the QSI Skopje community in her new role.
Adam Boggs
QSI International School of Yerevan: Academic Coordinator
Armenia
15-Nov-22
Mr. Boggs has accepted the Academic Coordinator position with QSI Yerevan. He is a former Archaeologist and Librarian and has been teaching for 10 years. The last three years were with QSI Chisinau, and he has taught in the United States as well as China. His wife has worked as a Pre-school teacher in QSI Chisinau for the past 7 years, and they are very excited about welcoming a new addition to the family in the coming weeks. Mr. Boggs is thrilled to be serving the needs of the international community in Armenia.
Muhammad Younis
American International School of Jeddah: M.phil physics
Pakistan
28-Oct-22
I have a five year teaching experiance .i can Teach Mathematics and science upto 8th grade and also Physics and Mathematics for Matriculation and intermediate students.
Anita Brady
International School of Paris: Primary Vice Principal of Student Wellbeing and Designated Safeguarding Lead
France
27-Oct-22
In my rôle as the Primary Vice Principal of Student Wellbeing and Designated Safeguarding Lead, I lead the Primary School wellbeing team and work closely with MS/HS counterparts.
Geeta Jayanth
Bangalore International School: Head Of School
India
23-Oct-22
Excited to rejoin Bangalore International School after a gap of 4 years. The school's Vision of being a Caring Connected community deeply resonates with me and I am committed to ensuring that the we all live by it while we continue to provide high quality learning and experiences for our learners.
Matt Manfredi
Sandnes International School: Head of School
Norway
21-Oct-22
Mr. Matt Manfredi is appointed as the new Director, starting from 1st January 2023. Mr.Manfredi is from New York. He is an impassioned educator and innovator for over twenty years. He has worked internationally since 2010 in Thailand, China and Austria. He holds a Masters Degree in Secondary Education as well as permanent New York State Certifications in School Administration, Social Studies and Physical Education. He was awarded recognition for Exceptional Teaching from Stanford University’s Teacher Tribute Initiative in 2014. He has also earned a Certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard University.
Doruk Gurkan
Bandung International School: Head of School
Indonesia
18-Oct-22
“We are pleased to announce that Doruk Gurkan, a dedicated and insightful educator with 23 years of professional educational experience earned both in private Turkish and international schools, has accepted the offer to assume the position as the Head of School effective at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year. Doruk began his professional career as an English Language and Literature Teacher in Turkey in 1999 and currently serves as the Head of High School at the Shanghai United International School, China. In the interim progression of his career, Doruk has served in a variety of leadership roles including IBDP Coordinator, School Vice-Principal & Middle and Senior School Principal (Shanghai Singapore International School, Shanghai), Head of English Department (Sezin School) and General Manager of his family business (Ganos Winery, Tekirdag). He has in-depth knowledge of the International Baccalaureate programme as well as the Cambridge International Examinations and how to blend local programmes with international ones. Doruk Gurkan is a Turkish national and is fluent in English, Turkish and Portuguese. He has lived in Brazil, UK, USA and China. He is aware of the Bandung Independent School’s strengths and will continue to develop and grow them over the next years. For Mr. Gurkan, everyone is destined to leave a mark in this world and lead a meaningful life. As an educator, it is our duty to inspire, motivate and support students in innovative learning as a lifelong adventure. He will be moving to Bandung in the summer of 2023 with his wife and is very excited to become part of the Bandung Independent School (BIS) Family. Their daughter will be graduating from IBDP and starting her university life in the Netherlands. Mr. Gurkan is also experienced in managing strategic administrative activities, including financial planning and management, overseeing developments in the school’s expansion projects, catering for growth and policy development and implementation to promote a school of innovation and openness. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Culture and Literature from Istanbul University, and Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom. BIS would like to thank each of the candidates who expressed interest in the Head of School position and to everyone who assisted and supported the search process to its successful outcome.”
Raj Bolla
International School Ho Chi Minh City: Vice Principal
Vietnam
17-Oct-22
Raj joins International School Ho Chi Minh as the Vice Principal. Previous to this she held the position of Vice Principal, Student Wellbeing at the International School of Paris.
Tim Allen
Colegio Decroly Americano: Director of Learning and Teaching
Guatemala
07-Oct-22
Dr. Allen was appointed as the Director of Learning and Teaching beginning August 2022. He comes to Guatemala after 20 years in China where he worked as a teacher and then as a school administrator. He brings nearly 30 years of experience to the position and works directly with teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators to help align the structures of the school for improved learning outcomes.
Eileen Beckman
Concordia International School Shanghai: High School Principal
China
19-Sep-22
Eileen has been appointed the new High School Principal. She previously served Concordia Shanghai as the Assistant Principal of the High School.
Tim Winterstein
Concordia International School Shanghai: Senior Director of Operations
China
19-Sep-22
Tim is joining Concordia Shanghai as the Senior Director of Operations. He has previous experience in the US and in Vietnam.
Angela Beach
Concordia International School Shanghai: Elementary School Assistant Principal
China
19-Sep-22
Angela joins Concordia Shanghai as the Elementary School Assistant Principal. She has previously worked in the US and in China.
Carla Marschall
Dresden International School: Director
Germany
18-Sep-22
Spencer Fowler
Pearson College UWC: Deputy Head and Vice President, Education and Programming
Canada
14-Sep-22
Dr. Spencer Fowler is Pearson College UWC's new Deputy Head and Vice President for Education and Learning. Spencer and his family joined our Victoria, Canada campus community over the summer. He was most recently CEO and Superintendent of the Affiliated High School of Peking University’s Dalton Academy and prior to that held leadership positions with schools in Chile, China, Egypt, Germany, South Africa, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam. Spencer holds a BA and BEd from Queen’s University (Canada), an MEd from the College of New Jersey (U.S.A.), and an EdD from Western University (Canada).
Christopher Coates
American School Hong Kong: School Director
Hong Kong
30-Aug-22
Christopher Coates has taken on the role of School Director at American School Hong Kong (ASHK) in August 2022. He has three decades of teaching and leadership experience in Canada, Hong Kong and Macau. ASHK is an Esol Education school which has 45 years of running schools in the Middle East and SE Asia. ASHK offers the American Common Core and the IBDP.
Jacqui Patrick
Nanjing International School: Primary Principal
China
29-Aug-22
Dr Steffen Sommer
MiSK International School: Director General
Saudi Arabia
28-Aug-22
Misk Schools announces the appointment of Dr Steffen Sommer as its new Director General
Dr Sommer joined Misk Schools in August 2022 from Doha College in Qatar, where he had been Principal since 2015. During his seven-year tenure, Doha College became the first school in the world to receive the highly prestigious title of ‘High Performance Learning World Class School’ and grew to be one of the largest and most successful schools in the region. A fluent speaker of many languages, Dr Sommer has a strong understanding of and love for the Middle East and its culture, as well as for the Arabic language.
Commenting on his new role, Dr Sommer said: “I am privileged to be taking on one of the most compelling opportunities anywhere in the international K-12 sector. My overriding goal is to deliver on the vision of our Founder, His Royal Highness, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, to educate the future leaders of society, nurturing globally minded enterprising learners, advanced performers, and accomplished leaders.
“One of my first priorities will be to oversee the move to our brand new, state-of-the-art campus in Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Nonprofit City – a very significant and exciting milestone for the entire Misk Schools community.”
Born in Germany, Dr Sommer gained his first degree in Language and Linguistics at the University of Leipzig. After a period of military service and teacher training, he left to work in business in France with the car maker Peugeot, and studied for a PhD in Birmingham, UK, before finding his vocation in teaching.
His educational career has been stellar. He has led top international schools in The Hague, Paris, Champittet Switzerland, and most recently, in Doha. He also has deep experience of life in a British boarding school having been Head of Languages and a Housemaster at Rugby School in England, one of the country’s top independent boarding schools.
Dr Sommer is a board member of the Outstanding Schools of the Middle East, Vice Chairman of the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) and a Fellow of High Performance Learning.
Ends
About Misk Schools
Misk Schools is a pioneering not-for-profit private PreK–12 day school in Riyadh for both male and female students. We are proud to be setting a new standard for education in Saudi Arabia, actively supporting Vision 2030.
Founded in 2016 by HRH Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud, we focus on leadership education, empowering our students to become creative innovators, so they can chart their own unique paths in serving and leading society.
Our curriculum is modern with a strong Saudi cultural heart. Every student has a personalized timetable designed to maximize his or her potential. We embrace project-based and experiential learning, alongside traditional academic teaching, to ensure our students develop the character and skills required to effectively apply their education in a real-world context, locally and internationally.
Jennifer Le Varge
Luanda International School: Primary Principal
Angola
27-Aug-22
Luanda International School is an IB World School in Angola, fully accredited with the IB, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). and the Council of International Schools (CIS). Jennifer will join Luanda International School as Primary Principal, after leading elementary schools in Korea and China. To the role, Jennifer brings her knowledge of the joys of the elementary years as well as an extensive background in the IB PYP.
Emmanuel Bonin
French International School of Hong Kong (FIS): Head of School
Hong Kong
22-Aug-22
With over 2,500 students and 450 employees, French International School of Hong Kong is a bilingual, dual stream K-12 school offering the French curriculum leading to the baccalaureate, and the international British curriculum leading to IGCSE and IB.
Jerrill Adams
Colegio Panamericano: High School Principal
Colombia
16-Aug-22
Christian Choquette
Hsinchu International Academy: Founding Principal
Taiwan
13-Aug-22
Mr. Christian Choquette is honored and excited to be joining Hsinchu International Academy (HIA) as its Founding Principal. Previously, Christian had served as the Secondary Principal at Hsinchu International School. The 2022-2023 academic year will be a development and recruitment year in which the energetic and focused founding team will collaborate to bring the HIA learning community to life!
Tanusankar Chakraborty
The International School of Penang ( Uplands): Assistant Head of School
Malaysia
13-Aug-22
Paul Ducharme
Oberoi International School: Head of School
India
06-Aug-22
The 2022-23 academic year marks the start of Oberoi International School’s 15th year of operation, and what a journey it has been to this point! The school opened its doors in August 2008 to an original, founding cohort of 38 students and by August 2020, the number of students enrolled at OIS had grown to over 2650 students from Nursery to Grade 12. From a first graduating class of just 15 students in 2011, 114 members of the Class of 2021 OIS has become one of the best IB schools in Mumbai.
Stacy Molnar
Pan American School of Bahia: Elementary School Principal
Brazil
06-Aug-22
Liz Gale
Taipei American School: Deputy Head of School
Taiwan
04-Aug-22
Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Gale is thrilled to be joining Taipei American School (TAS) as the Deputy Head of School. Previously, Liz served as the Deputy Director of Schools for Shanghai Community International School (SCIS), as well as the Head of School for the SCIS-Pudong Campus in Shanghai, China. As a leader in education, Liz strives for excellence, values diversity of thought, and is constantly looking for opportunities to build capacity and ensure the development of an inclusive and innovative learning community committed to making the world a better place. Liz is excited to work with, and learn from the incredible TAS community, and is looking forward to being part of TAS’ ongoing growth and development.
Dean Croy
Utahloy International School Guangzhou: Head of School
China
02-Aug-22
Utahloy International School Guangzhou is an IB World School with children from over 50 countries and staff from over 30 countries. A truly international community, UISG has built its hard-earned reputation by offering an inclusive learning environment to the expat communities of Guangzhou for 25 years. Incoming head of school, Dean Croy remarked, "I am excited to lead this diverse community of learners and staff; it's a dream job for an international educator!"
Timothy Veale
Copenhagen International School: Director
Denmark
02-Aug-22
As a naturalised Danish citizen, Tim is very excited to return to Denmark and lead CIS as its next Director.
