Our International School Leaders Conference
Conference speakers
The conference programme features a mix of inspirational external educator and university keynotes, Pearson-led sessions and guided professional development opportunities. Our carefully chosen speakers and trainers will deliver impactful 'from-the-front' sessions, engaging panel discussions, and interactive delegate Q&A sessions.
Dame Inga Beale
Dame Inga Beale was the first female CEO Of Lloyd's Of London, is a former board director of the Chartered Insurance Institute, President of The British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce & a LinkedIn Top Voice.
Lloyd’s of London: a British institution with its roots in marine insurance was founded in 1688. Some of its practices hadn’t changed over hundreds of years but it needed to modernise to keep up in today’s technological world. As the CEO hired to undertake this massive transformation, Inga steered the cultural and technological changes required to bring this great institution into the modern age, and will share tips and tricks for driving a successful transformation of any organisation.
Kamran Baig
Kamran Baig is the founding director of Lucerne International School in Switzerland. Kamran has been involved in international education for around three decades with experience working in schools with British, American and other international curricula. He has held positions as department leader, curriculum coordinator, school principal and director.
Kamran is currently researching the applications of Blockchain in education and the integration of AI into personalised learning environments. He believes in holistic education and preparing students for the realities of their futures as digital natives.
Kathryn Booth
Kathryn Booth is Director of Pearson School Qualifications for the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Her team supports international schools offering Pearson Edexcel and BTEC qualification and associated courseware to their learners. Prior to this role, Kathryn was Head of Science Qualifications for Pearson UK and led the team that reformed Pearson Edexcel GCSE and A level qualifications.
Lisa Evans
Lisa Evans is Global Marketing Director & Sales Director for Europe and the Americas for Pearson School Qualifications International. She leads the team of marketers at Pearson who connect international school customers with the right products and support to help them meet their education goals, whether they follow a British, international or International Baccalaureate curriculum. She is also Sales Director for Pearson for Europe and the Americas and regularly visits international schools around the world, speaking on the future of international education and learning from international educators worldwide.
Elliott Gibbons
Elliott Gibbons is Head of Investigations, QSR Business Improvement and Regulation at Pearson School Qualifications. He has been with Pearson since 2014 and has previous experience of teaching English in China, and leads the Investigations team responsible for investigating teacher and centre malpractice and breaches of security and Represents Pearson at the JCQ Malpractice Group and JCQ ICE review group.
Sharon Hague
Sharon Hague is President of English Language Learning and UK CEO of Pearson. She is a global growth strategist, passionate lifelong learner, and former educator with over 25 years of senior leadership experience at Pearson.
She currently serves as President of Pearson’s English Language Learning division, leading a global team. She is responsible for orchestrating the division’s strategy and driving a technology-powered growth plan, including market expansion, product diversification, and the development of AI-powered tools for
corporations and educators.Sharon also serves as Pearson’s UK CEO, acting as the company’s senior ambassador in its home market. Pearson is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
Sharon’s previous roles include Managing Director of School Qualifications and School Assessment, where she led global sales and operations for Pearson’s K-12 businesses. She has worked extensively with governments, schools, and partners to deliver services that help learners make progress in their lives.
A graduate of the University of Oxford and a trained teacher, Sharon began her career in education before moving into the private sector. She remains passionate about education and assessment and is committed to supporting the learning journey at every stage.
Nick Hillman OBE
Nick Hillman OBE has been the Director of HEPI since January 2014. He previously worked in the UK Government's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills as the Special Adviser to the Rt Hon David Willetts MP (now Lord Willetts) when he was the Minister for Universities and Science. Earlier in his career, he was a History teacher and he also spent time working on policy at the Association of British Insurers.
In 2020/21, Nick was shortlisted for the first Prospect magazine Think Tanker of the Year Award. He is an Honorary Fellow of both Queen Mary University of London (2016) and the National Conference of University Professors (2022) and also a Companion of the British Academy of Management (2022). In June 2025, he was delighted to be awarded an OBE for ‘services to higher education’.
Nick is currently a governor of the University of Manchester and the University of Buckingham as well as at two secondary schools, Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School and Repton School, and he was formerly a Trustee of the National Foundation for Educational Research.
Les Hopper
Les Hopper has nearly 20 years’ experience working with educators, technologists and academics to produce market leading learning solutions. He is passionate about the power of education to change lives, and the potential that technology offers to support a high-quality education.
As Product Director at Pearson Schools UK, he oversees digital and assessment products, AI strategy, qualifications, innovation, and partnerships. Previously, he led digital and edtech initiatives at Oxford University Press.
Dr Madiha Khan
Dr Madiha Khan is an AI researcher and Director of Consulting Services at Educate Ventures Research. She works closely with policy makers, HE bodies, school groups and EdTech firms in developing ethical and purposeful approaches towards AI. Her particular area of interest is in the use of data and AI to extract meaningful insights about teaching and learning. She has a PhD in self-regulated learning, specifically exploring a learning analytics approach towards monitoring tutor co-regulation of learners in an online classroom.
In addition to academia, Madiha has over ten years of experience working in the EdTech sector, advising EdTech firms, accreditation bodies and education and training suppliers on their digital strategies. Madiha’s combined academic and commercial experience enable her to take an evidence based, yet commercially astute approach, towards supporting her clients. She is passionate about the EdTech sector, and the development of high quality, scalable products which improve access to education and opportunity.
Mark Leppard MBE
Mark Leppard MBE is Headmaster of The British School Al Khubairat in the United Arab Emirates. In 2015 he was awarded an MBE for his services to education and has an M.Ed in Educational Leadership. He has a life long passion for learning and ensures that the student is at the heart of all decisions that are made. Holistic education is fundamental to Mark's philosophy and he believes that learning should not be restricted just to the formal classroom.
Mark has a track record of success, having led schools through seven 'Outstanding' school inspections and accreditations. He is a lead school inspector and has inspected a variety of schools around the globe.
Mark has experience of developing and delivering an agreed vision, as well as leading schools through a rebranding process.
He has worked closely on whole school building projects of various sizes including a complete new campus project, successfully opening a satellite Primary School campus and most recently delivering a state of the art Science and Innovation Centre.
Mark is the first international member of the HMC Board, currently Chair of BSME, Fellow of the Chartered College of Teachers and a BSO Lead Inspector. Mark sits on the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund Advisory & Decision Committee, supporting entrepreneurs to establish and grow their business ideas in the UAE. He was invited to sit on the Make Stuff Better Advisory Group, a professional coaching organisation and Advisory Board for Squirrel, a start up youth financial literacy start up company.
Catriona Olsen
Catriona Olsen is the Executive Head of King's InterHigh and prior to this was the Head of the Senior School at King’s InterHigh. Catriona holds a BA in Information Systems Management and a Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Education Computing from the University of Edinburgh.
Her career spans significant educational roles globally, including Assistant Principal at a large Academy in London and Deputy Head of Academics and College Head at Reddam House Durbanville in South Africa, also part of the Inspired Education group of schools.
Katharine Radice
Katharine Radice is an experienced secondary school senior leader, education consultant and author. Her recent books focus on how to help teenagers develop a healthy, positive relationship with exams. Exam Stress – A Practical and Positive Guide for Teachers was published in August 2025 and has been described as ‘seriously good in all respects’, ‘impressively comprehensive’ and ‘clear, brilliantly researched and insightful’.
Her latest book - A Parent’s Guide to Exam Stress: Practical, positive ways to support and motivate your child will be available from March, 2026. She speaks nationally and internationally about supporting teenagers through exams.
David Russell
David Russell is Senior Director of UK Public Policy for Pearson. After beginning his career teaching adults and children, David Russell (MA, PGCE) served 16 years in the UK Department for Education under the Blair and Cameron Governments from 1998 to 2014, including in national policy director roles on the English National Curriculum, Further and Higher Education.
In 2014 he became the founding CEO of the Education and Training Foundation, the professional development body for Further Education in England, which he led until 2022. After a year as Executive in Residence at Oxford University’s Said Business School he became CEO of KEUK, the professional body for Knowledge Exchange practitioners in the UK, spun out of Cambridge University and MIT.
David joined Pearson in March 2024 and leads on education policy liaison and Government Relations. He is an experienced school and college governor, and a member of the Royal Anniversary Trust’s FE Panel for the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Education.
Ben Stafford
Ben Stafford is Head of Assessment Performance for Pearson School Qualifications. He has over twenty years experience in the assessment and qualifications industry. His role focuses on elevating the standards of assessments by leveraging data and insights to make evidence-based decisions, as well as ensuring that the teams responsible for creating assessments possess the necessary expertise to deliver high-quality outcomes.
Ben is particularly interested in modernising assessment design, enhancing fairness for all, and ensuring consistent results every time. He holds a Master’s degree in Educational Assessment from the University of Oxford and is sits on various expert working groups for assessment both in the UK and internationally.
Dr Steffen Sommer
Dr Steffen Sommer, Director General of Misk Schools, is a passionate linguist and High Performance Learning (HPL) expert with over 25 years of senior leadership experience in Europe and the Middle East.
He is an Honorary Vice President of the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), a co-founder of the international division of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference, and an HPL Fellow. He was named one of The PIE's 50 Voices 2025 – International Schools edition.
Wenbin Wang
Wenbin Wang is the Executive Principal of Malvern College Qingdao, leading one of China’s most recognised international schools with over 1,000 students and 400 staff. Since 2014, she has driven the school’s growth and international reputation, with Malvern College Qingdao consistently ranked among Hurun Education’s Top International Schools in China and Forbes’ Best International Schools in Shandong Province.
With a background that spans the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an MBA from the University of Hong Kong, Wenbin brings extensive cross-cultural leadership experience. Her work has focused on international accreditation, faculty development, and fostering inclusive, high-quality learning environments. Beyond her role at Malvern, she also serves as Deputy President of Qingdao City University and Governor at Wellington College Shanghai, contributing to broader educational strategy and governance.
Recognized as one of China’s Most Influential Principals, Wenbin is committed to advancing international education. She is passionate about building globally minded schools that equip students to succeed in an evolving, interconnected world.
Emma Whale
Emma Whale is Vice President of Pearson School Qualifications International. Based in Dubai, she has worked in educational publishing, assessment design, and school services for the last 19 years.
Emma has a real passion for education innovation and spends her time visiting international schools around the world, working with school leaders to ensure we build the innovations our customers are asking for, into our qualifications, products and services.
Hayley White
Hayley White is Vice President of Assessment, Standards and Services at Pearson School Qualifications.