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Leadership & Governance

The BIS Leadership Team bundles educational experience and expertise gained in leading schools throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas.

In addition, they prioritize a sense of belonging and shared identity for all members of our school community, whether students, staff or parents. 

We feel a great deal of gratitude for how well BIS is managed.  The school leadership has proficiency and heart, both in equal measure, and it has guided the school to be a wonderful place of learning and community.


Lisa Kelley, Parent

Allow us to introduce our Leadership Team:

Dr Ryan Persaud

Director

Ryan Persaud joins BIS with 20 years of experience in international educational leadership spanning Canada, South Korea, Brazil, and Thailand. He is a dedicated advocate for progressive, humanistic education and design thinking.  

Known for his collaborative approach and deep commitment to diversity, equity, and social justice, he focuses on equipping students with future-ready skills, resilience and strong core values. Ryan’s leadership is characterized by an emphasis on innovation, critical thinking, and authentic, real-world learning experiences. He is joined in BIS by his wife, a Primary School teacher, and twin daughters.

Amy Henry

Director of Wellbeing

Before coming to BIS in 2025, Amy worked in education for over twenty years in the US as an elementary, middle and high school Counselor. She helped create college and career centers at several schools and a school based health clinic. Amy also worked as a School-to-Work Coordinator and led a nationally recognized programme in this area. 

Amy has a B.A. in Government/French from the University of Notre Dame and a M.S. in School Counseling from Portland State University. 

In her spare time, she likes to spend time with family, read and do any type of activity that gets her outdoors. 

Jo Junglas

Director of Student Life & Operations

Jo qualified as a teacher of Physical Education, and Social and Personal Education in Great Britain. She has worked as a Social Educational Expert with and trained in both Clinical and Pastoral Counselling and Excellence in Leadership.

Jo is passionate about enabling and empowering students to work towards reaching their true potential, whether academic, social or sporting, and is a positive example of life long learning.

Mother of two BIS graduates, she speaks German, plays football and regularly participates in marathons.

Ute Kuhn

Director of Finance & Administration

Ute is originally from Southern Germany. She has a master's degree in Business Administration with a focus on business information systems. She worked for many years in the software industry. After several years in France, she stayed connected to culture and language as the Business Manager at a French-German School before coming to BIS.

Her two daughters study in Munich and Hamburg. Ute is often out and about in the mountains, and when she's not hiking or mountain biking, she can often be found on her yoga mat.

Helle Moller-Sorensen

Director of Individualized Learning

Born in Denmark, Helle has more than 25 years experience in education, with an
MA in Spanish Language and Literature, Certification as Reading Specialist and Change Management Coach. She has dedicated her career to supporting students' growth and success through a holistic, individualized and strength-based approach. 

As the mother of two BIS graduates, she experienced firsthand the impact of a truly high quality learning environment. Helle values the BIS commitment to inclusion which recognizes the strengths of each learner, providing individualized learning opportunities, and creating multiple pathways that empower each student to flourish and achieve success.

Helle speaks four languages, loves travelling and enjoys her husband's exquisite cooking. She can often be found hiking with Mikkel, her much-loved golden retriever that also serves as an emotional support dog at the school.

Peter Owen

Director of Technology & Experiential Learning

Born in Hong Kong, Peter grew up in Canada. He holds Bachelor degrees in both Applied Economics and Secondary Education, and completed a Masters in Educational Leadership and Management from Bath University, UK.

In Peter's 19 year career at BIS, he has been a much-loved Secondary School teacher, Diploma Programme Coordinator and Principal.

Peter's ethics center on acting responsibly, working hard and building a caring and nurturing community. He believes that everyone can be successful, and that BIS is the best place to become inspired and empowered to do so.

His wife is also an English teacher at BIS. He is two children in our Secondary School. Peter is often seen biking with his kids, or on the sidelines of matches cheering our student teams on.

 

Alex Whitaker

Director of Innovation & Future Learning

Born in Great Britain, Alex studied Primary and later Special Needs Education. He was also team leader for visual impairment for 400 schools. He has taught and held leadership positions in the UK and Germany before joining our schoo. 

Alex believes the International Baccalaureate framework is the best tool to fulfill our school mission and provide a relevant, challenging, and supportive learning environment for all children in our care.

A father of two, Alex enjoys sharing his affinity for all things related to the circus, including physical theatre and juggling, with family, friends and the BIS community.

Under Recruitment

Director of Teaching & Learning

Board of Trustees

Bonn International School is a registered non-profit association supervised by a Board of Trustees. The 10-member Board of Trustees is responsible for the long-term development of the school, strategic decisions and school policy. Strong relationships between the Board of Trustees and the school’s Leadership Team ensure a shared vision for the future of our school and resilience in the face of short term challenges.

Mark Sinar

Chair

Mark and his family are long-time residents of Bonn, after moving from the United States, for Mark's job related to the automotive industry. Both of his children started in our Primary School and are now Secondary School students. Every one in the family is a lifelong Dragon and very active in school life.

Christian Wanders

Vice Chair

Christian, hailing from Germany, holds a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering. With a strong background in international business and leadership, he built a successful career in the automotive industry before retiring. He is the proud father of two sons enrolled at BIS.

Marta Zurita Bermejo

Treasurer, Chair of Finance Committee

Marta's career is in investment banking and capital markets, which she leverages in her position as BIS Treasurer. She is Spanish, but spent 25 years in the UK before moving to Bonn with her family. Marta has three Dragon children - one each in Primary School, the Middle Years Programme and the Diploma Programme.

Stéphane Rollier

Secretary

Stéphane is a French national who holds a Master’s degree in Business and Litigation Law. She has worked in these fields in France and in the US. Now in Bonn, she joined our Board of Trustees to support our daughters' school.

Abigail Erikson

Governance Committee Chair

Abigail is the Acting Head of UN Women in Bonn. She is an expert in advancing gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and ending violence against women and girls. A US American, Abigail has came to Bonn via posts in Fiji and New York. She is the proud mom of three children at BIS.

Anna Spinelli

Policy Committee Chair

Anna is an Italian national who holds a master’s degree in Management Engineering. After having worked in the UK, Italy, USA and The Netherlands, Anna is currently in management with the DHL Group in Bonn. Her daughter is a proud BIS Primary School student.

Klaus Wolf

Development Committee Chair

Klaus is a retired German staff officer and holds a Diploma of Education as well as a MSc for Political Strategies. He is now developing projects for the production and use of green hydrogen and works with our school's Eco Committee. He has twins in the BIS Secondary School. 

 

 

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