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Leadership and Governance

Lead by example

Our Vision - all of us learn: we inspire and empower each other to achieve

Lead by example

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 Robert Sims

Director

Canadian born, Rob has been living overseas as an educator for over 30 years.  He has taught in a range of positions, from Grade 2 P.E. to Grade 12 Advanced Calculus, and been in administration for 25 years.  

Having lived in Canada, Colombia, Indonesia, Poland, Taiwan, and, now Germany, he has a wealth of cultural experiences that shape his thinking and understanding.  A fascination with teaching and learning, leadership theory and culture, has led him to earn an MEd in Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, and a PhD in Educational Leadership.

Equally importantly, he and his wife are the proud parents of two daughters, both of whom have grown up internationally, completed their university studies, and begun to find success in their own paths.

Ultimately, Rob believes that education is about inspiring and empowering students to push their limits and strive for goals that are driven by their needs and passions. In doing this, teachers, students and parents need to work together and create a community that instills the confidence in them to seek out challenges and confidently embrace them.  
 

Alex Whitaker

Primary School Principal

Born in Great Britain, Alex studied Primary and later Special Needs Education. He was also team leader for visual impairment for 400 schools. More recently he was Assistant Principal and PYP Coordinator in Stuttgart, Germany. 

Alex believes the PYP is the best tool to fulfill our school mission and provide a relevant, challenging, and supportive learning environment for children.

Under the alias Dangerboy, Alex shares his circus skills such as physical theatre, juggling and clowning around. 

Peter Owen

Secondary School Principal

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

Peter has taught Secondary Maths, Economics and Theory of Knowledge at BIS. He also served as Coordinator of our Diploma Programme 2018 - 2022, achieving wonderful results during the trying times of the pandemic.

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, Lizzie, is also a teacher at BIS, and their two children are mini Dragons in our Primary School. Peter is often seen biking with his kids in tow, or on the sidelines of matches cheering our student teams on.

 

Jo Junglas

Head of Student Services and 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.

Married with two children, she speaks German, plays football and regularly participates in running races and marathons.

Sabine Schattenberg

Business Manager

Sabine Schattenberg grew up Germany, where she obtained a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. She then studied Accounting in the USA, became a Certified Public Accountant and worked for software and accounting companies.
Since moving back to Germany in 2001, she continued her career as the Business Manager at Bonn International School.

Sabine is married to a scientist and has two grown-up sons. She enjoys working out with her girlfriends, gardening, and, if time allows, visiting her sons in Spain and The Netherlands.

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.

 

Sandhya Bala

Chair

Sandhya Balasubrahmanyam is an Indian national who works for the United Nations System Staff College. She holds a PhD in Development Economics and International Development. She has two children at BIS in Grades 9 and 11.

Karen Williams

Vice Chair

Karen is British but has lived abroad for the last 20 years. She is an upper school parent with a background in marketing, sales and customer experience. She now works in the education sector and holds a PhD in English. She has served on the Board since 2018.

Bulend Corbacioglu

Treasurer

Originally from Turkey, Bulend has spent most of his life in Germany and the US. He is an investor who has been improving performance of businesses to make them more valuable. He has been serving on the Board since 2020.

Koko Warner

Secretary

Koko holds a PhD in economics and leads on adaptation, knowledge and vulnerability at UNFCCC. She ranks in top 20 women in the climate change debate. Koko is mother to two sons at BIS, one of whom a proud BIS Alumni.

Sajey Moongamackal

Governance Committee Chair

Sajey is a German national and a native of Bonn. He serves as a VP at an artificial intelligence company, and is also a CFA Charterholder. Sajey has two sons in our Primary School. 

Monisha Saldahna

Development Committee Chair

An Executive Product Manager at Deutsche Telekom, Monisha leads product innovations. She holds USA and UK citizenships as well as being an Overseas Citizen of India. Her sons started in our Early Learning Programme and are now in Primary School as lifelong dragons. 

Mark Sinar

Policy Committee Chair

Mark is the Global VP – Human Resources, Safety and Sustainability for Maxion Wheels. The Sinars are long-time residents of Bonn, after moving from the United States. Their children are lifelong Dragons.

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