Education Committee

The role of the Committee is to be an authoritative voice on educational issues that affect British business in the Hong Kong SAR. The committee provides an authoritative and constructive response to consultative and policy papers prepared by the government of the Hong Kong SAR on educational issues that have a direct or indirect effect on members of the Chamber; to identify the opportunities and other requirements that the British business community expects from the Hong Kong educational system; to examine the role which business plays in providing further education and training for their employees, and to make recommendations about improvements and developments that might be made in the future; to communicate information on educational issues to the membership of the Chamber; to encourage the membership to put forward or initiate ideas that might enhance the government’s ability to resolve problems in the educational system of the Hong Kong SAR.

Join the Committee


Mark LoasbyChairConnect Communication LtdRead moreRead lessMark has spent most of his career in differing forms of education. Currently the Managing Director and founding Partner of Connect Communication, he has spent the last 19 years facilitating workshops and seminars here in Hong Kong and throughout Asia Pacific. Whilst most of his training has been with large financial, legal, and corporate organisations, he has also run numerous programmes for the Hong Kong Government and various educational establishments. This includes the Hong Kong University, The HKUST, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The ESF, and The Chinese International School. Prior to his present position, Mark was a teacher. Starting off in an Inner London Comprehensive School (many years ago!), he went on to work in a special needs school in Zimbabwe, a state school in New Zealand, and finally was the Principal of a small private school in Hong Kong. Mark has been living in Hong Kong for 29 years. A graduate from Queens University, Belfast, he holds a Masters degree in Educational Management. He is married with 4 children. Three of them went through the ESF, from Primary 1 to Secondary 13, before going on to universities in England, Australia, and the USA. His fourth child is currently enjoying life at Bradbury.
Lesley CameronVice ChairSt. James's Place Wealth ManagementRead moreRead lessLesley Cameron is an Executive Partnership Development Manager with St. James’s Place, a FTSE100 wealth management company with funds under management in excess of 75.3 billion GBP globally. She has over 25 years’ experience within Financial Services in various roles and is now a senior member the St. James’s Place management team in Hong Kong, where she works to grow and develop the St. James’s Place business in Hong Kong.
Peter WongVice ChairCanadian International School of Hong KongRead moreRead lessPeter is the Director of Business Administration at the Canadian International School of Hong Kong responsible for all aspects of the operations. He has been in a leadership role for many years with extensive experience in leading projects focused on driving growth and operational efficiency. He was a former Partner in KPMG Hong Kong - with over 18 years of professional experience in roles including Sector Head of Education and a member of KPMG’s Global Education Network. He has over 10 years of education-sector related experience in supporting and working with a range of educational organisations. His leadership roles in the respective Education Committees of the British Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has also enabled him to develop a good overview of education related matters both locally in Hong Kong and beyond. Peter holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Business Studies. He is a Qualified Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and a Qualified Certified Public Accountant from the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Executive AssistantTerrine LiRead moreRead lessTerrine supports the Executive Director by managing appointments, prepares correspondences with government and leading industry bodies, arranges meetings and travel plans. Additionally, she assists the Chamber team and ensures its effective and efficient operations by providing administrative and clerical services. Terrine is also the Chamber’s representative on the Education Committee, and the Healthcare Committee.
Alan MillikenMemberEnglish Schools FoundationRead moreRead lessAlan Milliken is Director of Strategic Performance and Quality Assurance with the English Schools Foundation (ESF). He is originally from the UK and has held a number of roles within education. He has led schools as a Head Teacher (Principal) and has held a number of senior roles leading curriculum, performance, quality assurance, resources and wider learning communities. His portfolio with ESF includes responsibility for the strategic performance of the organisation and a range of school-related services: student support, quality improvement, professional learning and wider engagement. He is also the strategic lead for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Almon KwanMemberFDMT ConsultingRead moreRead lessAlmon Kwan is the founder of FDMT Consulting, a unique consulting firm with clients including all UGC-funded universities as well as some self-financed colleges. Specialized in data-driven discipline-specific career education, he has taught 4,000+ UGs and PGs students of 60+ majors from 13+ universities and tertiary institutions. He has also worked with 450+ MNC employers and 260+ secondary schools for university-funded career education programs. His company set up a philanthropy branch called FDMT Pathfinder to organize charity programs with Cambridge University, Google, and Microsoft to date. He is a Fellow of the HK Institute of Directors, advisor of the Philosophy Department of Lingnan University, member of the Youth Development Program of Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. Before, he was a Court member of HKUST, appointed member of the HKSAR Public Affairs Forum of the HKSAR government, President of the Alumni Association of HKUST, Committee member of HK Red Cross Youth and Volunteer, a Hong Kong Expert for the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, and many other youth-related advisory positions. His company has been awarded by HSBC, Shell, etc. for Living Business Awards, LiveWIRE, and various other awards.
Ann HaydonMember Harrow School Hong Kong Read moreRead less Ms. Haydon took up her position as Head of Harrow School Hong Kong on 1 August 2017. She is the first woman to lead a Harrow School. After reading Economics and Geography at the University of Surrey, Ms. Haydon completed her PGCE at the University of Nottingham. In 2007 she gained the National Qualification for Headship from the University of London. In 2013 she was awarded a distinction in the Pearson UK. Headteacher of the Year Awards and has gained national recognition for work in leadership, governance, teaching and learning and marketing in Schools. In 2012, Ms. Haydon and her Senior Leadership Team won the Independent Schools ‘Outstanding Senior Leadership Team of the Year’ and in 2013 received the accolade of ‘Outstanding Governing Board of the Year’. Ms. Haydon has held the position as HMC London Division Secretary and was a member of the HMC Sports Committee. She was a member of the United Learning Heads Reference Group working on strategic developments across a group of Independent Schools and Academies and she has sat on the Governing Body of several Independent Schools in London. Ms. Haydon was Deputy Head at Guildford High School before taking up the position as Principal of Surbiton High School in 2008, an independent, HMC (Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference) and IAPC (Independent Association of Prep Schools) School with circa 1500 pupils aged 4 to 18, both of which are consistently placed in the Top Ten Schools in the Times League Tables. Ms. Haydon now has the privilege of leading Harrow Hong Kong. As a leading educator, Ms. Haydon is committed to getting the very best out of young people and preparing them for top universities across the world. Ms. Haydon’s interests include travel, sport and the arts.
Anne SawyerMemberInternational Montessori SchoolRead moreRead lessAnne Sawyer is the Co-Founder and School Supervisor of The International Montessori School (IMS). She has over 15 years of Montessori school operations and education experience. During her childhood, Anne attended thirteen different schools in the US, the UK, and in Europe, including a Montessori elementary programme in Germany. It was this Montessori experience that in retrospect changed the way she thought and learned. Prior to establishing IMS, Anne worked for a multinational Fortune 500 company in the U.S. and Asia. She was a global Strategic Analyst for a specialty polymer business, including M&A work, then moved to Asia where she was responsible for developing and expanding the business in Asia. Anne was then promoted to establish the e-Business for the entire company in the United States, however missed Asia, and returned to Hong Kong. The entrepreneurial spirit was always a key driver for Anne, and when the interest in starting something new coincided with a clear need for better education options in Hong Kong, IMS was born. Anne holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Chemistry, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Case Western Reserve University. She is also Visiting Faculty for Wellesley College, and the Madeleine Korbel Albright Institute of Global Affairs.
Benjamin KeelingMemberShrewsbury International School Hong KongRead moreRead lessMr Ben Keeling is the Principal of Shrewsbury International School Hong Kong. He has worked as a school leader for over 15 years and is a highly respected educationalist, author and columnist holding an extensive knowledge of local context.
Boris RakitinMemberKate's Kids Education LtdRead moreRead lessDr Boris Rakitin is the founder and CEO of Kate's Kids Education Limited. He holds a PhD degree in Engineering and has over 15 years of teaching experience. He worked with a number of higher education institutions in Hong Kong and overseas. Boris can speak 4 languages. He is married with two children.
Catherine TsuiMemberPricewaterhouseCoopersRead moreRead lessCatherine is an Associate Director with the Corporate Responsibility Team with over 15 years of consulting experience in both private and public sector organisations in particular with a view to develop strategic options that maximise the commercial value and/or public value contribution of relevant business propositions or government-led initiatives. Over the last five years, Catherine has focused more on the social and welfare sector and works closely with a number of not-for-profit organisations, philanthropy foundations and academic institutions in addressing specific social issues, including, social inclusion of disadvantage children and ethnic minorities, basic needs provision of the working poor, community care of the elderly, mental wellbeing of children and youths and feasibility of outcomes based contracting of social programmes. Catherine was a board member of an international school in Hong Kong and is currently an executive committee member of a government aided school.
Christopher JacksonMemberInvictus Education LimitedRead moreRead lessChris Jackson grew up in England but moved to Hong Kong in the 1990s. Since then he has held teaching and management roles in a variety of schools and institutions - large and small; English medium and bilingual. He understands the challenges and opportunities for families as they look for an education which is personal in its delivery, global in its perspective and ambition, and will be a real stepping stone to success at university and beyond.
Howard TuckettMemberWycombe Abbey School Hong KongRead moreRead lessHoward Tuckett is a primary specialist with experience as a teacher, housemaster, sports coach and Headteacher. With a Diploma and MA in Education, he has over 38 years of experience as an educationalist, twenty-two of those years have been served as a Head at British Prep Schools. Howard served as the coordinator of the fourteen prep school Heads in the United Learning Group and from 2010 as an ISI School Inspector. Howard has served as a Governor of two independent schools and has led IAPS Heads’ training courses. Howard moved to Hong Kong in 2019 to assume the role of Founding Headteacher of Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong. He is married with two children.
John MortensenMemberJones Lang LasalleRead moreRead lessJohn Mortensen is Regional Director of Education and Healthcare services at Jones Lang LaSalle, providing a broad range of real estate services for Universities and International schools in Hong Kong and China. JLL provide Development Advisory services to schools and universities entering into partnerships in China. JLL also provide land and building acquisition services, manage design and construction, and provide facility management services on over 4 million sq ft of education space in Hong Kong and China for some of the most reputable schools and universities in the region. John is also a Governor on the Board of the Kellett School.
John ShooterMemberOxbridge British SchoolRead moreRead lessJohn won a scholarship to Cambridge University where he took a full part in University life. After further postgraduate study in both the UK and US he has worked in a variety of education roles over the past thirty years, including Head of Department, Boarding Housemaster and Principal. He was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts in 1994. Away from education, he is an experienced ocean sailor and an accomplished musician. John is delighted to have been appointed the founding Principal of Oxbridge School.
Laurie PearceyMemberThe Chinese University of Hong KongRead moreRead lessLaurie Pearcey commenced his appointment at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) in September 2021. Laurie is responsible for expanding CUHK’s external reputation and profile with media, public policy makers, industry partners, future students and alumni locally, nationally and overseas. Prior to his appointment at CUHK, Laurie was Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) and served as Chief Executive Officer of Australia’s oldest pathways education provider, UNSW Global Pty Ltd. Before joining higher education, he was Chief Executive Officer of the Australia China Business Council. Laurie is a fluent Mandarin speaker and is learning Cantonese. Laurie is a non-executive director of UCAS International in the United Kingdom.
Lisa YipMemberBritish CouncilRead moreRead lessLisa has been helping young individuals to achieve their goals throughout the career. Specialises in Examinations teaching and planning, she has a total 18 years of experience with Kaplan, with her last position as Vice President, Accountancy and Business. Since 2019 she has been with the British Council as Head of Business Development for IELTS; for other English and non English examinations. Lisa worked with a wide range of clients including accountancy firms, financial, higher education institutions and business corporations in Asia. She successfully injected university partnership and programmes from UK and Ireland, and Australia to Hong Kong; Lisa project leaded the Kaplan Professional Diploma in Accountancy, an one of a kind programme formerly known as Conversion programme, developed for HKICPA and registered with HKCAAVQ; successes and knowledge were later transferred to Mainland China, Singapore and Australia. At the British Council Lisa facilitates partnership with secondary schools, universities, various government departments.
Marco LongmoreMemberCastle Rock EducationRead moreRead lessMarco Longmore is the CEO and Founder of Castle Rock Education. He has come to Hong Kong following his leadership of the successful establishment and opening of Fettes College Guangzhou in 2020 and brings with him over 30 years of teaching and leadership experience. Before joining Fettes College Guangzhou as Head of College, he had the privilege of working in the United Kingdom at four leading HMC Schools in Edinburgh and London, including The Edinburgh Academy where he had been Rector (Headmaster) of the school for nine years. From the UK Marco moved on to become the Founding Head Master of Brighton College Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, successfully overseeing the development of this leading British school brand from pre-operation to full opening. Establishing the 4th branch of Brighton College globally. In establishing Castle Rock Education, Marco takes his wealth of experience to a new role as an international education consultant, providing bespoke support service to international brand partners in British styled holistic education. Supporting preoperational and school running needs, governance, and strategic planning, as well as staff recruitment and leadership coaching for schools in South East Asia and the Middle East.
Mark SteedMemberKellett School Association LtdRead moreRead lessMark S. Steed has been the Principal and CEO of Kellett School, Hong Kong, since August 2019.
He spent his career working in top UK independent schools as a teacher, head of department, and boarding housemaster prior to his three senior leadership roles as Headmaster of Kelly College in Devon (2001-08); as Principal of the Berkhamsted Schools Group (2008-15); and as the Director of JESS, Dubai (2015-19).
Mark has degrees from Cambridge and Nottingham Universities and an Executive Masters-in-Management with Ashridge-Hult Business School, during which he researched ‘Alternative Business models for Secondary Schooling’. He has a particular interest in how new technologies can be used in education and chaired the UK Independent Schools Council IT Strategy Group from 2007 to 2015.
Mark writes extensively on a range of educational issues on his blog, http://independenthead.blogspot.com and for Tes.  He is active on twitter @independenthead.
Michael SomervilleMemberBusiness and Professionals Federation of Hong KongRead moreRead lessMr Michael Somerville’s career from 1954 -1989 was in insurance latterly heading Jardine insurance division and CEO of a leading HK insurance group. He then spent 4 years as Chief Executive of a major fund management group now part of Allianz group, followed by 2 years as consultant director of the Employers Federation. Mr Somerville is an associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute – ACII. Mr Somerville was founding member of the Business and Professionals Federation of Hong Kong (BPF), the founding chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Insurers and has been a member of various Government Committees including the Labour Advisory Board and the Finance Committee of the Hospital Authority from its inception. Mr Somerville has been resident in HK for 48 years and is currently Consultant to BPF, chairs the BPF Health Care Committee and is a member of its Committee on Retirement Protection.
Raymond LuiMemberBritish Standards InstitutionRead moreRead lessBRaymond Lui is the Director of Enterprise Solution & Marketing in BSI Hong Kong. BSI provides a broad range of ISO-related international standard certification and training globally. As the world leading certification body, BSI focuses on inspiring trust for a more resilient world by providing ISO auditing and empowering the International standard knowledge through leading auditor training. Raymond is responsible for managing the team on advising business improvement solutions and strategical path to achieve International standard. He also focuses on support to post-graduate students with co-operation with different schools, institutions, and Universities, as well as facilitate on-the-job training to commercial companies for empowering the society talent knowledge up to standard. Prior to joining BSI, Raymond was the Business Development Director at Financial sector for Virtual Payment and online payment gateway. He also has over 10 years’ experience in ICT industry for driven the new wireless technology adoption through mobility network to innovating and creating convenience to the market.
Robin ListerMemberMalvern CollegeRead moreRead lessDr. Lister is the Founding Headmaster of Malvern College Hong Kong which will open in September 2018. Dr. Lister is an experienced educator who was previously the Senior Deputy Head of Malvern College UK. He taught at Malvern College since 1989 as Head of Philosophy & Religious Studies, Housemaster, Deputy Head and finally Senior Deputy Head. Dr. Lister gained his BA in Theology and post-graduate teaching qualification from Hull University and MA in Religion and Psychology from Harvard University. He then obtained his Ph. D from St Andrews University where he was the Gifford Fellow and a part-time lecturer. Outside of education, Dr. Lister is passionate about the Highlands of Scotland where he spends a few weeks each year. He is also a great admirer of J.S. Bach, modern art and architecture and keen interest in international relations.
Savvas MichaelMemberUniversity of LawRead moreRead lessSavvas is the Programme Director at the Hong Kong Campus of the University of Law. Savvas has a Masters in History from University College London (UCL) and read Law at the University of Cambridge. After graduating, he worked at the High Court of the Hong Kong SAR. He then spent five years working in the City of London, including at the Financial Ombudsman Service and within the Legal team at the Bank of England. Savvas has been working at The University of Law since September 2019. His areas of teaching and expertise include Public Law, International and European Union Law. He has taught across all undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including the GDL, MA, LLB, LLM and BPTC. Savvas was previously the Course Head of the LLM programmes at London Bloomsbury. Savvas has also taught at other UK universities, including UCL and the University of Cambridge.
Stephen HoMemberFerguson InternationalRead moreRead lessStephen is the founding Chairman of the Oxbridge Education Group. The group recruits international students for overseas studies and provide Trans-national education in collaboration with British universities. Stephen is an Adjunct Professor of the School of Professional and Continuing Education of the University of Hong Kong and an Honorary Institute Fellow of Asia Pacific Institute of Business, Hong Kong Chinese University. Stephen teaches Marketing and Logistics on part-time basis. He serves local tertiary education institutions as member of the Academic Committee, Adviser and External Examiner.
Sophia IpMemberDepartment for International Trade, British Consulate General Hong KongRead moreRead lessSophia works in the trade team in Hong Kong. She is the lead for the education and training sector, her portfolio ranges from international school licenses, eLearning opportunities, education infrastructure to transnational education opportunities. Prior to this she has worked in a variety of different education organisations including, the British Council, the International Affairs Office of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and as an education consultant for a leading education agency in Hong Kong.