At AISB, our School Leadership and Faculty are a dynamic team of highly qualified, passionate professionals dedicated to providing an exceptional academic and social experience for our students. Aligned with our Mission, Vision, and Values, they are committed to fostering an environment where every child can thrive.
Our School Director, appointed by the Board of Trustees, leads this talented team, supported by a robust group of Principals and Directors. Each member holds operational responsibility for various aspects of school life, ensuring that our educational community runs smoothly and effectively.
Explore the profiles and insights of our leadership team and faculty below, along with the dedicated members of our Board of Trustees.
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- Early Childhood
- Elementary School
- Middle School
- High School
- Board of Trustees
Diploma of Teaching, Dunedin College of Education
B.Ed. Otago University
MA in Private School Leadership, Columbia University
MBA in Education, Keele University
Brett was born in Mosgiel, New Zealand. After graduating from Dunedin College of Education and Otago University, he moved to Auckland, where he taught in private education. In 2000, Brett moved to Bangkok, Thailand, to assume his first international post.
From Thailand, Brett moved with his wife Debbie to Zürich, Switzerland, where he held Deputy Principal and Principal's roles at a leading international school. Following eight years in Zürich, Brett and Debbie, together with their children Liam and Hannah, moved back to Bangkok, where Brett worked as Elementary Principal and then Head of School.
From early in his career, Brett was fortunate to work with outstanding leaders who invested in his development. Brett was selected as a Klingenstein Fellow, completing his Master of Arts in Private School Leadership at Columbia University. In more recent years, he completed an MBA in International Education from Keele University.
As a leader, Brett understands the influence school culture has on students and their learning. As such, he works hard to support teachers in their work, removing barriers to ensure their success in the classroom. He strives to support a positive school culture where all community members feel valued and experience a strong sense of belonging.
Currently, Brett is leading the revision of the school's guiding statements. He is excited to commence work on AISB's next strategic plan to consider the future of learning and how AISB can provide its students with unique learning opportunities.
Brett's wife, Debbie, works as an EAL teacher in the Elementary School, and their son Liam is in High School and daughter Hannah in Middle School.
In his free time, Brett enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, researching his Land Rover restoration project, and taking time to keep abreast of developments in education.
Jamie is the Managing Director for BP’s Global Business Services center in Budapest and Global Head of Customer. He has held this role since 2013, before that he had 15 years management experience at Diageo including General Manager of the Budapest business as well as CFO roles in Guinness and numerous international assignments in Audit and Finance. Prior to joining the AISB board Jamie has enjoyed being on 2 other boards.
Jamie enjoys travel and spending time with his family.
Dr. Cathy Bo Wu holds a Ph.D. in translation studies. She was a lecturer and associate professor at the School of Foreign Languages at East China Normal University in Shanghai for over 20 years. She has extensive experience as a visiting scholar and professor internationally. Cathy has translated 12 books and worked as a translator for the Chinese Independent Film Archive of Newcastle University in the UK.
Currently, she is working on a China national Social Science fund project of translating a classic on ancient Chinese literature into English in cooperation with the Taylor and Francis Group in the UK. She enjoys classical music, modern art, reading, old Chinese tea, and spending time with her family. Her husband is an independent venture investor, traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and old Chinese tea collector. They have a daughter who is currently in the 6th grade at AISB.
Mike is an experienced senior finance professional, having spent more than 34 years at KPMG in Canada, Switzerland, and Hungary in audit, financial advisory services, and other advisory services. More recently he completed almost 2 years as the CFO at Budapest Airport. He has other non-profit roles, including Director of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Supervisory Board Chairman at United Way Hungary, Supervisory Board member of the Hungarian Ice Hockey Federation, and immediate past Secretary Treasurer of AmCham. Prior to joining the AISB Board, he was a member of the AISB Ad Hoc Building committee.
Mike first came to Hungary from Vancouver, Canada in 1990 and has spent more than 30 years here. He has a daughter and 2 sons (both in AISB) and enjoys sports, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Rick is retired as the former CEO of a public company based in Hong Kong, that manufactured and distributed well-known apparel and footwear brands. He has an advisory firm that advises clients on mergers and acquisitions. Rick has served on a number of boards including Parsons School of Design in New York and Delivering Good, an apparel industry non-profit that distributes new apparel products to families in disaster situations and people in need. He has served on the Strategic Planning Committe at AISB since 2023.
Rick moved to Nagykovacsi with his wife, Kriszti, and their son Krisz, a fourth grader at AISB, in January of 2023. He has two other sons, one living in Bali and the other in Singapore. Rick and Kriszti enjoy traveling in Europe as often as they can and shuttling Krisz between basketball, soccer and tennis lessons.
Rob is an international corporate lawyer specializing in mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions in Central and Eastern Europe and Turkey. Rob has been based in Budapest for over 20 years and is currently Co-Chair, Global Private Equity Group, for Dentons, an international law firm. Rob has a B.A. from Yale College and a J.D. from University of Miami School of Law.
Rob is a father to two daughters at AISB, and enjoys sports (baseball, basketball, golf, running), history and reading.
Lenka has worked in different middle management positions in retail banking division at CSOB and CSOB Asset Management, Prague. For over 10 years she focused on sales support, internal communication and Human Resources.
Lenka holds a masters degree in law from Charles University in Prague and MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Before moving to Budapest she had been actively involved in two international schools, The International School of Brussels and Park Lane International School of Prague.
Lenka enjoys being with family and friends, sports, history and French.
Nick Kós is the Chief Executive Officer for PwC CEE since July 1 2018, previously Country Managing Partner for Hungary since July 1, 2012, Assurance Leader for the Western Region of CEE, member of our firms Supervisory Board and Chair of our Audit Committee.
Nick has worked at PwC for 28 years, of which 25 have been in CEE, primarily in Hungary but also in Poland and Russia where he led the Assurance Practice for 2 years.
The audit professional with Irish-Hungarian origins started his career in 1990 at PwC in Ireland where he was born and educated, and moved to Hungary in 1994 where he became the lead Partner in the telecommunication, information technology and media industry group within a few years. Later on he held a leading position in the Polish firm of PwC, followed by the Assurance service line leader position at PwC Moscow. He returned to Hungary in July 2011.
Nick has worked and led significant engagements on, for example, the retail and consumer, oil & gas and telecom sectors.
Married with 2 boys, aged 16 and 13, and a little girl aged 9.
Enjoys playing golf, trying to keep in shape, and competing internationally at swimming with the boys as they spend a lot of time as a family at various pools.
István has more than 15 years of management consulting experience across various industries from all over Europe. His focus is primarily on digitization, financial services, and fintech solutions of the future. He holds an MBA degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he completed the Non-Profit Board Fellowship program and has served on the Board of the Merchant Fund.
István enjoys traveling and teaching, he is regularly invited to give lectures at business schools.
Elizabeth is a member of the faculty at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. She has worked at the Feinstein International Center at Tufts since 2006, a research policy center dedicated to improving the lives of communities affected by conflict or crisis. Elizabeth’s work focuses on the effects of conflict, crisis, and protracted vulnerability on economic outcomes and intra-household dynamics. She has conducted and led research in multiple countries in southern and eastern Africa, as well as Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Nepal, and the Syrian crisis.
Elizabeth and her family moved to Budapest in August 2019. They live in Nagykovacsi and have a daughter and a son in middle school.
Personal interests include running, hiking, reading, cooking, gardening and travel.
“Andres “Andre” Valdes is an American national who come to Budapest in 2023 as a Foreign Service Officer (Diplomat) working for the U.S. Embassy. A diplomat for almost 20 years, Andre has acquired vast experience in operations, human resources, and logistics management in multiple countries. Additionally, he has also worked on humanitarian diplomacy and relief projects with refugees and Internally Displaced People in Sudan, South Sudan, and east Africa. Andre’s career focus has been on leading change, staff development, and communication.
Andre is joined by his spouse and three children who also attend AISB. He is a graduate of St. Thomas University and Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).
Lóránt has a degree from Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam, Masters in Economics. Lorant worked 12 years for ABN AMRO bank where he held different positions in Brazil, Netherlands, Hungary and Belgium. Previous senior positions include CEO of Trigranit Development corporation and CBS property. Since 2014 Lóránt is the Managing Director of CBRE in Hungary. In addition he is Chairman of the board of the Netherlands – Hungarian Chamber of commerce.
Lóránt enjoys golf, contemporary art, and reading.
M.S. Ed. in Dual/Bilingual Early Childhood Special Education from Bank Street School of Education, New York, NY
B.S in Early Childhood Education and a B.A in Spanish from SUNY Fredonia, Fredonia, NY
Annalise was born and raised in Ontario, New York and she knew she wanted to be a teacher since she was a little kid. Annalise began her teaching career in a Reggio Emilia inspired preschool in West Harlem, NY. There she became passionate about educating families and creating a school home connection. In 2015, she moved to the UAE where she taught kindergarten for 2 years and 1st grade for 4 years and really enjoyed the challenges of incorporating inquiry and play into a standards-based curriculum. Annalise will join the Kindergarten team at AISB. She is accompanied by her husband, Zachary Hill and their son, Benjamin who is 2.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cooking, running, reading, and traveling.
Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, University of Melbourne
Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education University of Canberra
Niomi was born in Sale, Australia. After graduating from the University of Melbourne she moved to Canberra where she completed her teaching qualification and taught in the government system for three and a half years. In 2013 Niomi moved to Japan to teach. In 2018 spent three years teaching in Vietnam before returning to Japan for another two years.
Niomi enjoys supporting students to develop their curiosity and understanding of mathematics. She particularly enjoys the Applications and Interpretations DP course as it has so many rich opportunities to explore real-life problems.
M.A. in Teaching German Language and Literature from University of Debrecen
Laura graduated from the University of Debrecen with a Master’s Degree in Teaching German Language and Literature. Before joining AISB, she spent 10 years in Dubai, where she taught German both as a mother tongue and as a foreign language. Laura has a lot of experience teaching students from the age of 3 to 18 and has also taught adults at the Goethe-Institute.
“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.”
This quotation from Goethe reflects in her teaching philosophy, which is to develop a personal understanding of each child and meet their different learning needs. Laura has a real passion for teaching and believes that by offering a secure and engaging learning environment, integrating a variety of teaching methods and providing individual and group support, students will be greatly motivated to learn and grow to love the language.
In her free time, Laura loves to relax by reading novels and attending her Pilates classes. She also enjoys traveling in her holidays, where she can discover hidden gems in foreign places.
B.Sc. in Physical Geography/Biology from Wilfrid Laurier University
B.Ed. from Lakehead University
M.A.Ed. in Administration from Michigan State University.
Andrew was born in Seaforth, Ontario, Canada and is currently the AISB Middle School Principal. As the son of a lifelong teacher, he was drawn to a career in education from an early age.
Having completed his undergraduate degrees in Science and Education in 1994, Andrew obtained his first teaching position in a large public High School close to his hometown in Canada before moving on to international postings in Japan, Egypt, Guatemala, the United Arab Emirates and now Budapest.
Andrew completed his M.A.Ed. in Administration from Michigan State University in 2002 and obtained his first posting as Middle School Principal in 2004. He has been happily supporting the Middle-level learner in this leadership role ever since.
Andrew firmly believes that students thrive in a caring, supportive and well-rounded educational environment where risk-taking and innovation are encouraged and celebrated.
In his free time, Andrew enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife, two daughters and their family pet, a black labrador.
B.A. in English Literature from the University of Ottawa
B.Ed. from the University of Ottawa
Lisa was born in Canada and is currently teaching Grade 8 Language Arts. A passion for reading and writing combined with a desire to have an impact on the lives of others, Lisa was drawn to teaching from a young age.
She completed her undergraduate studies in Ottawa where she earned a B.A. in English Literature and then went on to complete a B.Ed. through the University of Ottawa.
Lisa has been teaching internationally since 1996. She began her career in Seoul, South Korea and then went on to teach at international schools in Cairo, Guatemala City, and Dubai before moving to Budapest in 2015.
Lisa strongly believes that positive and supportive student-teacher relationships are the key to motivating and inspiring young adults. She strives to create a classroom environment where students are willing to take risks and understand that process is as important as product.
Outside of the classroom, Lisa enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with her husband and two daughters.
B.A. in Nursing from the Health College of HIETE Budapest
Specialization of Anesthetist Assistant
B.A. Religious Teacher through the PPKE Faculty of Theology
Aranka is Hungarian born in Budapest. She has been a nurse at AISB since 2001, but she spent 8 years at home on a maternity leave.
Aranka worked as a nurse in the Intensive Care unit at the Casualty Center in Budapest after graduation. Then she was an anesthetist assistant at the same hospital. She also worked in the ER room and the surgery room. After a while, she became a head nurse in a Nursing Home and started working at AISB.
Aranka loves working with students of all ages to help them with all health related problems. She enjoys teaching health to the Early Childhood and grades 1 and 2.
In Aranka’s free time she loves making jewelry and crafts with her daughters, reading and spending time with friends.
BA (QTS) Early Childhood Studies
Lucy is British and is currently teaching Multiage in the Elementary School.
Lucy studied teaching and Early Childhood Studies at Roehampton University, London where she discovered a deep interest in how young children learn and the importance of their surrounding environment. Lucy taught in Richmond, South West London for 6 years at a new school, developing the Early Years program and outdoor learning environment.
She then moved to EtonHouse, Singapore and was a founding member of EtonHouse International Preschool, working closely with the surrounding community. Lucy also delivered workshops to Early Years educators about learning environments and developed a deep respect for the Reggio Emilia approach which now lies within the core beliefs of her pedagogical practice. She also visited Reggio Emilia as a participant in the 2014 International Study week which continued to spark her curiosity about documentation of children's learning in an authentic and meaningful way for children.
After 5 years in Singapore Lucy and her husband Josh moved to Branksome Hall Asia, Jeju where they have spent the last 4 years raising their young family. She taught the Nursery class and also undertook the role of a Pedagogista, working closely with a team of educators to develop a respectful and responsive Early Years Program.
Outside of school Lucy loves spending every moment with her 3 young children who love playing outdoors. She is learning to knit and also has a special interest in photography.
M.Ed Health and Physical Education from the University of Wollongong, Australia.
B.Learning Management Teaching from the University of Central Queensland, Australia.
Josh is an Australian who grew up living on a boat on the East Coast of Queensland before settling on land in a small town Bundaberg. He is currently teaching Physical Education in the Elementary School.
Josh became a teacher from the age of 15 through swimming. As a competitive swimmer in Australia he started his coaching and mentoring role at the Bundaberg Swimming Academy. This is where Josh's love for sharing knowledge grew into a passion.
Josh completed his teaching degree at the Central Queensland University in July 2007. Josh moved to his first teaching post in Singapore at Eton House International school where he taught Physical Education to Nursery through to Grade 6 students. This is where Josh completed his M.Ed in Health and Physical Education in 2014. Josh met his wife Lucy in Singapore and after 7 years moved to Jeju Island, South Korea to teach at Branksome Hall Asia. Josh was the Elementary Athletics Director, Whole School Aquatics Director and Physical Education Teacher.
Josh has a passion for teaching all sports particularly water sports and team games. Josh swam at a National level in Australia and is ASCTA certified coach from toddlers through to National level swimming.
Outside of school Josh loves spending time with his family consisting of twin boys Rufus and Rory and daughter Aurelia. Josh loves playing and trying a range of sports and an outdoor lifestyle.