by yvelasco | 6 December, 2023 | Regional Managing Directors
Regional Managing Director – South America
Michael studied Modern Languages at Durham University.
Keen on experience living in different countries and cultures, Michael took EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teaching courses, and worked as a language teacher in state and international schools in the Czech Republic, Germany and Ukraine, and management roles in Italy and the UAE.
Continuing in the education field, Michael had the opportunity to move to China in 2003, initially running Asia admissions and marketing for a global group of language schools, before leading the East Asia region for a UK examinations and awarding body.
A move into the fast-growing university pathway sector then followed, where Michael spent over ten years leading global student recruitment, marketing and admissions for two of the largest global providers, recruiting up to 3,000 new students each year for 15 universities across the world, including well-known institutions such as University of Maine and Lancaster University (UK).
Michael also took on roles running the Global Network for Cambridge Assessment English and later leading the largest international school group in Vietnam with around 10,000 students studying a bilingual curriculum.
After exactly 20 years in Asia, Michael and family embarked on a new adventure at the start of 2023, and are now based in Santiago, Chile. Aside from the opportunity to travel in this rapidly-changing region the family is delighted that their two young daughters will be able to benefit from Spanish immersion.
by yvelasco | 6 December, 2023 | Regional Managing Directors
Regional Managing Director – Middle East
Kam was born, bred and educated in the United Kingdom. At an early age he showed an interest in numbers which continued and developed into a career in Finance.
Post qualification he worked in many diverse industries such as Marsh & McLennan, Atos and British Telecom and covered geographical areas such as Canada, Europe, Africa and Middle East.
It was in 2005 Kam joined British Telecom Global Services based in London which lay the foundations and grew his interest in other continents. In 2010 an opportunity arose in United Arab Emirates which led to him moving out to Dubai and starting a new chapter in his career. After working in several multinationals in the region and with nearly twenty-five years’ experience in Finance behind him, Kam joined International Schools Partnership (ISP) Middle East in 2017.
Already a parent with two boys, education was always an important factor in his family’s life so the passion for this industry continued to grow. During the eight years Kam realised the depth of values and tradition that the Middle East harboured which in turn increased his appetite to experience other countries and cultures.
Kam enjoys cinema, walking, spending time with family and travelling to different parts of the world, especially if it means being by the sea!
by yvelasco | 6 December, 2023 | Regional Managing Directors
Regional Managing Director – USA & Canada
Sarah grew up in South Africa before moving to the UK in her early twenties.
After several years of teaching in London, Sarah decided to broaden her horizons and moved overseas to take the opportunity to lead and be part of the successful opening of two international schools in Egypt and then Qatar.
Through her experiences in these schools, she learned the value of cultural competence, the importance of building strong connections and trusting relationships, and the joy of working with talented colleagues and students from across the globe.
Sarah then moved to Shanghai, China, to collaborate with colleagues to lead the design and implementation of a bilingual curriculum program for a Chinese International School operated by an international schools group. After the school’s successful opening as an IB World School, Sarah was promoted to Principal and led the school for three years while completing her master’s degree in International Education from King’s College London. During her leadership, the school grew to over fifteen hundred students in its third year. Sarah also worked closely with the regional team to plan and design a capacity expansion project to grow the school to three thousand students in five years.
Sarah joined International Schools Partnership in January 2019, first as the US Regional Director of Learning, where she enabled the successful learning and education integration of the first five US schools. In October 2019, Sarah was promoted to lead the growth of the US & Canada region, responsible for opening a regional office in Dallas, Texas, and recruiting a full team to continue to develop and support the success of the current US schools. As Regional Managing Director, Sarah is growing the region to include new schools, both in the US and Canada.
Sarah enjoys spending time with her family, playing golf, reading, and traveling to new places worldwide.
by Orianna Quintero | 6 December, 2023 | Regional Managing Directors
Regional Managing Director – Vietnam & Thailand
Rosy is from Hanoi, Vietnam. While Rosy initially gained concurrent degrees in Education and English language from two local universities her inherent entrepreneurial foresight compelled her to complete a Bachelor of Economics in Marketing and an MBA with RMIT.
The resilience and tenacity of the Vietnamese people have been inspirational in Rosy’s motivation to aspire to the highest levels of professionalism and management. She has worked as a senior manager and director in Australian, Singaporean, Japanese, Thai and UK companies; the last 19 years being in international education covering all sectors from Kindergarten to University.
With broad international experience and an understanding of Vietnam’s modernisation, Rosy became the long-term Director of Operations with a Singaporean start-up company which grew to be the largest provider of international education in Vietnam, from two Kindergarten campuses in 2004 to fifteen campuses covering Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary schools by 2018.
Now, as ISP’s Regional Managing Director for Vietnam and Thailand, Rosy relishes the challenges of creating new and innovative schools of international quality and providing new opportunities for international and local students in the region.
For relaxation, Rosy enjoys travel, cooking, yoga, working out in the gym, gardening, shopping and keeping in touch with her family spread across the world.
by Orianna Quintero | 6 December, 2023 | Regional Managing Directors
Regional Managing Director – Mexico, Caribbean and Central America
Matt grew up in Dallas, Texas, and fell in love with Mexico after an incredible summer learning experience in 7th grade.
He studied Latin American Studies at the University of Texas, and after a stint in entertainment marketing in Los Angeles and New York, moved to Mexico City in 2003 to join Laureate Education and launch the first ever working adult bachelor’s program in Mexico.
An initial cohort of 207 students grew to over 35,000 students. Matt went on to launch similar programs in Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, Chile and Ecuador, and in 2010 moved to Brazil to launch the program all over the country. Later as CEO of Laureate Panama, he and his team built a state-of-the-art university campus that to this day is one of the finest university campuses in Latin America.
In 2017, Matt joined Inspired Education as the CEO Americas, growing the region from just one school in Bogota to seven schools in six countries, and helped drive significant improvements in academic quality, staff, marketing, and school facilities. He is proud to be a part of the International Schools Partnership, where confidence grows.
Matt is happily married to Marjan, a health and wellness expert, and they have three amazing kids, and reside in Mexico City. He is an avid practitioner of yoga and meditation, loves to cook elaborate meals with the family, and is always down for a long Mexican comida.
by Orianna Quintero | 6 December, 2023 | Regional Managing Directors
Regional Managing Director – Malaysia
Iain grew up in the seaside town of Brighton in the UK and has been working in education for over twenty years.
He graduated from Greenwich University with a teaching degree in Sciences and PE, and later achieved a Post Graduate Certificate from Brighton University and a National Professional Qualification for Headship.
Iain has worked in seven schools in differing contexts during his career and has held leadership roles for 20 years. He has supported several educational groups and universities. Before moving into his current role of Regional Managing Director – Malaysia, Iain was the proud Campus Principal of Tenby Schools Setia Eco Park, our flagship school in the region in Malaysia, with 2,000 students and two curriculums.
Passionate about partnership, he has supported several educational groups including Brighton and Hove Headteacher Collaboration and Tomorrows Leaders and taken part in international collaborative projects such as the British Council Malawian leaders project in Africa. Iain’s other educational passions range from Educational Leadership and using data to impact learning.
Iain worked as a youth coach at Brighton and Hove Albion FC Academy for 10 years. He is always learning and in his spare time enjoys snowboarding, golf, travelling and watching live professional sport.
by Orianna Quintero | 6 December, 2023 | Regional Managing Directors
Regional Managing Director – Iberia
Maggie Wright is a passionate educator committed to life-long learning and personal development.
As a senior executive leader, with 35 years of international school experience, she works collaboratively to ensure outstanding learning outcomes for all students and staff.
Maggie has a strategic approach to authentic self-evaluation, leadership development at all levels, and school improvement. She is bilingual and has experience teaching and leading in diverse and complex multi-lingual school environments in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Maggie is driven to achieve and succeed with a sense of shared vision and common purpose. Committed to continuous improvement, she encourages herself and others to engage in personal reflection, inspired goal setting and making positive life changing choices. She is known within the education community as an outgoing, fun-loving person with strong, yet flexible views and with a genuine interest in people and an authentic compassion for others.
Maggie lives in Valencia with her husband Jim who enjoys exploring and photographing Spain. Her adult children are global citizens having lived internationally and studied the IBDP in England and Wales. She is a competitive triathlete but also relishes the fine dining opportunities that the many diverse regions of Spain have to offer. As a published author and researcher, Maggie also enjoys speaking at events to highlight her holistic approach to work and life in general.
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On the radar
