Governance and Leadership
The International School of Berne (ISBerne) is a fully accredited, International Baccalaureate® (IB) World School providing education for 275 students aged 3 to 18 in Switzerland’s capital. Since 1961, our private, day school has had a long-standing reputation for innovative and highly qualified teachers, world-class facilities, a diverse community, and excellent academic results. Get to know our Leadership and Board of Directors:
Senior Leadership Team
The International School of Berne (ISBerne) is very proud of our experienced and diverse international educators who are led by an outstanding Senior Leadership Team.
Denise Coates
School Director
Appointed the Director of ISBerne in 2018, Denise Coates is an outstanding and experienced school leader originally from the United Kingdom. Ms. Coates was formerly the Director of Knightsbridge Schools International, Morges, and the Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Lead for the Knightsbridge Schools group. She is also an International Baccalaureate (IB) Lead Educator for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region.
Interview in 'International School Parent Magazine'
LinkedIn Profile
Margrit Schürch
Business Manager
Margrit Schürch is a graduate of the Berne University of Applied Sciences in Economics and Business Administration. She has more than thirty years of financial and management expertise in various industries. Prior to joining ISBerne in 2008, she was a Manager at Ernst & Young in Switzerland. She also spent a number of years in Dubai and UAE working for a German insurance company and later in regional management of the Gulf and Pakistan for a European airline.
Pedagogical Leadership Team
Our Pedagogical Leadership Team oversees student learning, student pastoral care, communications, and the smooth daily operations of the school.
Dom Thomas
Head of Operations and Communications
Originally from the United Kingdom, Dom Thomas has taught in international schools in Turkey, China, and Azerbaijan for more than twenty years. He has previous International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) leadership experience in both China and Azerbaijan, as well as being a Visiting Team Member and Workshop Leader for the IB.
Tom Phillips
Upper School Principal
Tom Phillips has worked in International Baccalaureate (IB) schools in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, before he joined ISBerne initially as Subject Area Leader of Individuals and Societies with a specialism in Geography. Hailing from the UK, he is currently completing his Master of Arts degree in Education with the University of Nottingham in England, in addition to his Bachelors of Arts degree in Human Geography.
Shaine Bushell
Middle School Principal
Originally from the United Kingdom, Shaine Bushell has a background in teaching Mathematics and teacher education (University of Chester). More recently, he has gained a wealth of knowledge and leadership skills from working at an International Baccalaureate (IB) School in Hong Kong.
Richard Dowse
Primary School Principal
Originally from Australia, Richard Dowse has taught in schools in Australia, Ireland, and Switzerland. Before becoming Primary School Principal, he had been at ISBerne for eight years teaching Grade 3 and Grade 4. He earned his Bachelors in Education degree and Diploma of Teaching at the University of New England in Armidale, Australia.
Board of Directors
ISBerne is owned by Pansophic Learning, a global school management company. Four representatives from Pansophic Learning sit on the ISBerne Board of Directors. ISBerne's Board provides strategic oversight and meets quarterly with the ISBerne's Senior Leadership Team to ensure our school's continued success.
Maria Szalay
Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, Pansophic Learning
Maria Szalay serves as the ISBerne AG Chairman of the Board and brings more than 25 years of strategy, operations, and development capability to ISBerne. Currently, she is the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Pansophic Learning.
Prior to Pansophic Learning, Maria joined K12 where she was instrumental in growing the company from a pre-revenue startup to a $900 million public company. In this time, Ms. Szalay served in a variety of roles including product management, product development, operations, strategy, and corporate development.
Prior to that, she was practice director at Operon Partners, an e-business consulting firm where she led consulting teams assisting clients with business strategy, product management, and business transformation consulting services. She worked directly in client organizations developing business plans to obtain funding and assisted with the implementation of online initiatives, with specialized expertise in integrating these solutions with their bricks-and-mortar business.
Ron Packard
CEO and Co-Founder of Pansophic Learning
Ron Packard is CEO and founder of Pansophic Learning and he is well known as an educator, entrepreneur, and visionary. He is the author of ‘Education Transformation’ – a book that demonstrates why technology is critical to the future of education.
Mr Packard was the long-time CEO and founder of K12 Inc and in that role oversaw the growth of K12 from an idea to a $900 million public company. It is now one of the world’s leading education companies. Before K12, Mr Packard was vice-president of Knowledge Universe and CEO of Knowledge Schools, one of the USA’s largest early-childhood education companies.
He was instrumental in the successful investments in Learn Now, Children’s School USA, Leapfrog, TEC, and Children’s Discovery Center. He has also received the Education Industry Association’s James P. Boyle Entrepreneurial Leadership Award.
Martha Burnige
Executive Vice President and General Manager, International Schools, Pansophic Learning
Martha Burnige is a senior education executive and lawyer with more than 20 years of experience working with schools and educational institutions.
In addition to being a board member at ISBerne, Martha chairs a group of seven schools in the United Kingdom and sits on the boards of iCademy Middle East and Kisubi Schools in Uganda.
Martha also sits on the board of the ISBerne Foundation, a grant making organisation providing educational scholarships.
Steve Goetzinger
Senior Vice President, Finance & Accounting, Pansophic Learning
Steve Goetzinger has broad experience in all aspects of accounting and financial management. Steve is a hands-on manager with expertise in small to mid-size high-growth companies. He has vast experience in education, software technology, service, and manufacturing industries.
Steve’s specialties are Financial and SEC reporting, GAAP accounting, IPO, mergers and acquisitions, financial analysis, technical research, accounting software implementation, taxation, risk management, and equity administration.
Parent Advisory Board
To ensure strong parent engagement, ISBerne has a Parent Advisory Board. It serves as a vital link between parents and the school leadership, providing valuable input and feedback on school initiatives. The Parent Advisory Board meets quarterly prior to each Board of Directors meeting to ensure that the perspectives of our diverse parent community are heard and considered in all key decision-making processes.
Faculty and Staff
ISBerne has a faculty of 54 full and part-time teaching faculty representing 12 nationalities. Not only is our faculty diverse, but most have also spent significant time teaching and living in foreign countries, acquiring familiarity with the customs and language of their host country. This extensive cultural knowledge enriches our inclusive community when working with a diverse student body.
Our staff is not only well-travelled but, more importantly, they are well trained. Most of our faculty members have received two or more degrees in their teaching field. In addition to hiring well-trained and experienced faculty, ISBerne prides itself on supporting regular Professional Development opportunities to all staff.
Our Academic Programmes
We are a non-selective school with well-rounded and high-achieving students. An education from ISBerne is a proven investment in your child's future.
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