Callie and her team at R.E.A.L Schools Shah Alam believe in providing a conducive and inclusive environment to maximise students’ potential and for each student to fully enjoy their learning and growing years here with their friends and teachers. All of this is to inspire brighter futures for our students, who will have a positive impact on us and our community as a whole.

Callie has over 20 years of experience in education in both private and international schools. She has a Bachelor of Law and a Master of Education, and she has a deep passion and commitment to providing quality education for the future generation. She looks forward to warmly welcoming, serving, and nurturing her students to be the best they can be.

Prior to joining XCL Education, Weirong focused on strategy and innovation at A-Star Education, where he led value creation initiatives in close collaboration with the management teams at portfolio brands, which include summer pre-college programs, college counselling/ academic services, and international student recruitment. His projects covered growth and turnaround strategy, marketing performance, data analytics, technology, partnerships, and business development.

Weirong worked at Bain & Co., a management consulting firm for about 6 years prior to A-Star, serving companies spanning a full spectrum of industries across Southeast Asia. He has specific experience with strategy, transformation, performance improvement, and sustainability (ESG) projects, and has contributed to ASEAN digital integration initiatives.

Passionate about coaching and experiential learning, Weirong has a track record of teaching and instructor roles throughout his educational and professional journeys. He received an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and Bachelor and Master degrees in Engineering from Dartmouth College and the University of Texas at Austin.

Tunku Ali Redhauddin Ibni Tuanku Muhriz, a graduate of both the University of Cambridge and Harvard University, is Chairman of Marlborough College, Malaysia; founding trustee and Chairman of Teach for Malaysia; and Pro-Chancellor at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. In 2013, he was recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Previously, he worked at both McKinsey & Company and Khazanah Nasional Berhad, and he currently holds other board and advisory roles at several corporations and non-profit entities including TPG Capital Asia.

Todd has more than 30 years of experience in the finance function. Prior to XCL Education, Todd was the Chief Financial Officer and Group Financial Controller at A-Star Education where he built the finance team and the finance function. Before that, he held multiple roles in finance at Cognita Asia , including Asia-Pacific Regional Controller, and the Finance Director and Business Manager for Stamford American International School overseeing a period of high growth.

Todd was previously in the automotive industry, as the CFO and a member of the Board of Directors at Delphi Corporation Korea.

Todd holds a Bachelors in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame, as well as an MBA From Indiana University.

Sock Yian was the Group Human Resources Director at A-Star education, as well as a core member of the executive team and HR director at Cognita Asia. During her time at Cognita, she oversaw 2 greenfield projects and 6 acquisitions, and has built senior leadership teams in partnership with the CEO.

Prior to joining the education sector, Sock Yian has taken on senior HR leadership roles at Singtel, Novell, Unisys, and Cirque du Soleil where she was part of the APAC founding team that brought highly successful touring shows into the region.

Sock Yian graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration. She has also been awarded a Graduate Diploma in Human Resources from the Singapore Institute of Management.

Raised in Sydney, Billy has over 11 years of consulting and investment experience in Australia and Asia. Prior to joining XCL Education, Billy was at A-Star-Education, a global education group that served more than 25,000 students across the K-12, enrichment, and university prep sectors. He was responsible for the Group’s corporate development activities and played an important role in the value creation at the European International School HCMC and Nobel International School Algarve, through the execution of brownfield and greenfield projects.

Prior to A-Star-Education, Billy worked at Arowana International, a specialist mid-market investment group, where he was responsible for both new investments and accelerating sustainable growth through interim management secondments to portfolio companies.

Billy also previously worked for over 7 years in Deloitte’s Restructuring and Advisory practice; successfully advising and executing on profit improvement and turnaround strategies as well as M&A transactions for clients across a range of industries.

Billy is a qualified Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of New South Wales.

Ganen Sarvananthan is a Managing Partner at TPG Capital Asia. A distinguished scholar, he was an ASEAN Scholar; a Sultan Azlan Shah Scholar; and a recipient of the British Chevening Scholarship. A law graduate of University College London (UCL), he was the Head of Investments at Khazanah Nasional for almost a decade before he joined TPG in 2014. Ganen serves on various Boards on behalf of TPG.

Brian has lived and worked in Asia for over 20 years and spent the past 15 years working with Private Equity, exclusively within the Education sector. During this time, he has focused on driving quality improvement in schools and preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow through innovative curriculum offerings and progressive pedagogical approaches.

Prior to partnering with TPG to form XCL, Brian founded A-Star-Education in 2016 in partnership with Verlinvest, to build a diverse global portfolio of quality education companies. Prior to founding A-Star-Education Brian, served as Chief Executive Officer of Asia Pacific for Cognita for over 8 years and founded the Stamford American International School in Singapore.

Brian serves on the Board of Reach Higher, a non-profit focused on equity and access to tertiary education for first generation students, chaired by Michelle Obama. He also serves on the Board of =DREAMS, a Singapore based non-profit. Since 2017 he has served on the Board Facilities Committee for the Singapore American School.
Brian has a B.S. in Economics from Northern Illinois University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Chin is a moving force in education in the region. As Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cambridge English For Life (CEFL), she is currently helping to chart the course of this significant education provider, as it moves from its Malaysian base to strike out regionally.

Her experience in the education sector spans over 35 years. Most of her career has been spent in the field of education; as a teacher, an examiner, and an administrator. In each of these fields she has brought her enthusiasm, drive, and love of teaching to bear with telling effect. As a government school teacher, she helped to break the mould of the traditional classroom practitioner with the introduction of creative and needful classroom activities; as an examiner she has employed her qualifications and experience to bring educational rigour both to the development and the administration of examinations; and as an administrator, she brought her creativity to the field of curriculum design and teacher training.

Dr. Chin’s 25 years’ experience with Cambridge started off with University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), to English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), to Cambridge English Language Assessment (CELA), and now Cambridge Assessment English. She first held the role of Oral Examiner, followed by Local Secretary, to Team Leader, to Speaking Examiner, and now Team Leader again. She is also accredited by Cambridge International Examinations to set and assess IGCSE ESL coursework. As CEFL’s Master Trainer for Cambridge International Diploma for Teaching and Learning (CIDTL), Dr. Chin has personally taught, trained, and developed more than 30 cohorts of practising and aspiring teachers with 100% passes and many of whom have been awarded diplomas with Distinction.

After three years in the corporate sector where she made her mark as a Publicity Manager, she has now brought all her skills to bear on the task of developing and marketing a widening variety of educational programmes with CEFL.

Dr. Chin enjoys reading, cooking for her family, travelling, and doing purposeful shopping in her free time. She treasures the precious time spent with her family and enjoys keeping in touch with her former students who are still living in Malaysia or have moved abroad.

Eugene Yeoh has been with the Paramount Group for over 20 years, culminating in his last position of overseeing Group IT for both education and property divisions before transferring to Sri KDU in 2016.

His association with Sri KDU itself started with the establishment of the first school in 2003, and he has continued to be involved in every expansion plan of Sri KDU, leading to the setting up of systems to supporting the administrative, academic, and functional needs of the schools.

Since 2016, Eugene has developed and led Sri KDU Schools’ operations, working with the academic heads to provide excellence in education. Eugene has been the key driver in setting up Sri KDU International School (Klang).

As an alumnus of KDU College and the proud parent of Sri KDU alumni and current KDU University students, Eugene brings a 360 view and commitment to the leadership of Sri KDU.

Eugene obtained his Master’s Degree in Computer Science/Information Technology from the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside, United Kingdom.

April Peters has vast teaching experience spanning close to three decades in the United Kingdom (UK) and Malaysia. She holds a B.Ed. in Physical Education with Computer Studies at the Chelsea School of Human Movement, Brighton, UK.

At the start of her career in 1990, Peters taught in Kent, advancing from a classroom teacher to a head of department for several subjects, followed by academic management to pastoral management then moving into senior leadership as an Assistant Head teacher in Medway, UK.

In 2005, Peters attained the National Professional Qualification of Headship – NPQH. Following this, she was appointed Deputy Head teacher in a large secondary school in Yorkshire with a wide portfolio including Teaching and Learning, Assessment and Reporting, Staff Training and Development, Pastoral guidance and Discipline.

April Peters is no stranger to Sri KDU. She was the Founding Vice Principal of Sri KDU International School, Kota Damansara from 2011 – 2014. She supported the Principal in ensuring the school was fully set up, working with both local and expatriate staff to design and implement a British curriculum that offered personalized learning for every child to achieve their potential in and outside of the classroom.

She returned to the UK and started a position with Teach First in 2015, training both primary and secondary teachers towards attaining their UK qualified teacher status (QTS). In 2017, she was promoted into the role of Initial Teacher Training Programme Manager which involved working across the North of England with Manchester University, Newcastle University and Sheffield Hallam ensuring that the Teacher Training Programme was delivered to the government contract criteria. Ms. Peters moved back into a school environment in 2019 as a regional manager for a large Multi Academy Trust.

Margaret Rafee has vast teaching experience spanning over four decades in the United Kingdom (UK) and internationally. She holds a B.Ed. (in English and French) and completed her MA in Applied Linguistics (Language in Education) at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham, UK. At the start of her career and possessing a passion for languages, she taught French in the UK and English in Sri Lanka in the early 1980s. She later lectured English at the University of West London (formerly known as Thames Valley University) and was the Language and Learning Co-ordinator at Sir Wilfrid Martineau School in Birmingham. Between 1993 and 1997, she was Head of English at Ashlyns School in Berkhamsted. Thereafter, she assumed the position of Deputy Headteacher at Bicester Community College in Oxfordshire, where she was responsible for the development of its global curriculum content and staff training as well as assuming pastoral duties.

In 2003, Rafee was appointed Headteacher at Alperton Community School, Wembley, UK. During her tenure there, Alperton became a Cooperative Academy, achieved the International School Award, Inclusion Quality mark and Investor in People status. She moved the school from “satisfactory” to “outstanding” in Ofsted grades (UK national inspection regime) over the ten years of her tenure.

Rafee joined Sri KDU International School (SKIS) in August 2013 as Principal, supervising 105 teachers and overseeing the achievements of more than 1,000 students. She is the current Vice-Chairperson of AIMS (Association of International Malaysian Schools). In November 2018, Rafee was also appointed to the Board of FOBISIA (Federation of British International Schools in Asia).

Lam Chee Fong graduated from Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) with a Bachelor of Mechanical & Production Engineering (Hons). Following that, he joined the Ministry of Education (Singapore) and obtained his Post Graduate Diploma in Education in 1998. He worked in a government school for five years and he was the Head of Physics (cum Acting Head of Science) before he returned to Malaysia to be with his family.

Lam has more than 20 years of experience in the education industry. He joined Sri KDU Secondary School in 2003 as a Physics Teacher and was promoted to Head of Science in less than a year. Subsequently, Lam was promoted to Head of Assessment, Head of Academic & Assessment (Lower Secondary), Deputy Principal of Sri KDU Primary School and Vice Principal of Sri KDU International School, before he became the Principal of Sri KDU Secondary School in end 2015.

Djohannn has over 28 years’ experience working in education, both in teaching and administrative capacities. He applies academic and professional knowledge in his career which has taken him from mission schools to the provision of integrated educational services across Malaysia and Singapore.

His varied roles in education have enriched his knowledge, adding greater value and significance to his responsibilities as an educator and administrator. He is conscious of what is involved in the complex art of teaching and learning.

As principal of Sri KDU Primary School, he provides strategic direction in the school system, develops curricula, assesses teaching methods and monitors student achievement. He encourages parent involvement and oversees policies and procedures.

He believes that education is a continuous and lifelong process, and that the primary school years – middle childhood – is a period of transformation during which the child undergoes various physical, intellectual and social changes, and that these precious years should be exploited to the best advantage of the child. Djohann’s personal mission is to create an academically effectual primary school that gives children’s growth a significant boost. He is fortunate to be supported by a team of dedicated Senior Leadership staff who share his philosophy of education.

Focused on details, analytical and resourceful, Djohann accepts the challenge of demanding work situations and is committed to the maxim that education is an integral part of human life, the basic condition for the development of the whole person. He thus ensures a well-balanced programme for students of Sri KDU Primary School.

Pearly Ng is the Campus Principal of REAL Schools, Johor Bahru Campus and is someone who has been devoted to education, mainly in Singapore and Malaysia, for over 14 years. She served as the Head of Cambridge Programme at Lang Education and A-Level Coordinator cum Senior Lecturer at Sunway College, Johor Bahru, prior to joining REAL.

Pearly is an advocate for 21st century learning and teaching as well as problem-based learning approaches. This is in line with REAL’s ‘Transformative Learning Journey’. She holds a Master’s degree of Science in Biotechnology from University Technology Malaysia and Bachelor of Science from University of Malaya. She is also a certified Cambridge Science Examiner.

With a deep passion for teaching, Pearly strives to instill a love of learning in her students. She believes that acquiring time and work management skills are paramount to becoming a great leader.

Dr. Jeffery J. Louis, Campus Principal of REAL Schools, Shah Alam Campus is a people-oriented leader. His impeccable credentials in education, broad experience, and caring personality have made him the best candidate for his position and REAL is proud to have him on board.

Over the past 35 years of his service in education, Dr. Jeffery has taken on multiple roles and positions which include being a key strategic advisor within PEMANDU’s goals in achieving the overall national education framework.

Dr. Jeffery’s academic qualifications include a PhD in Education/ Teaching/ Training from WAC University and a Master’s Degree in Business from Southern Cross University, Australia. Throughout his years in education, he found the experience of teaching and managing the various educational institutions to be enriching and formative, and it has immensely influenced his career as well as character.

Dr. Goh Chee Leong, previously served in HELP Education Group for 20 years and was the founding CEO for HELP Education Services, which established two international schools in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru. Dr. Goh was also the founder and Dean of the Faculty of Behavioural Sciences at HELP University, Kuala Lumpur, which houses one of the largest Psychology programmes in South East Asia with over 1,400 full-time students.

He was the past President for the ASEAN Regional Union of Psychological Societies (ARUPS) and past President of the Malaysian Psychological Association (PSIMA), and has also been appointed Consultant Psychologist for MENSA Malaysia. He has served as project leader for eight UNICEF projects in Malaysia, including a capacity-building project in tsunami-affected communities in Kedah, the development of a national child trauma response team, a bully prevention intervention in Malaysian schools, and a positive discipline initiative in schools.

Datin Teh was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Education in June 2011.

As CEO of Paramount Education, Datin Teh had overall responsibility of the education division of the Paramount Group; from pre-school, primary and secondary schools through to tertiary institutions and enrichment centres. Under her stewardship, KDU expanded its wings to their iconic campuses at Utropolis Glenmarie and at Utropolis Batu Kawan. Subsequent to the completion of the sale of Paramount’s controlling equity interest in the tertiary business to University of Wollongong Malaysia (UOWM) in September 2019, and its pre-tertiary business to Prestigion Education Sdn Bhd in February 2020, Datin Teh continues to contribute her expertise and experience as a Board member of UOWM-KDU University College group and Prestigion Education Sdn Bhd.

Prior to being appointed CEO of Paramount Education, Datin Teh was appointed the CEO of Sri KDU Sdn Bhd in January 2005, a position she concurrently held till June 30, 2018. In addition to helping lay the foundation for Sri KDU Schools, Datin Teh was instrumental in expanding Sri KDU into the international school segment, building its brand as a premier private and international school operator, offering both national and international curriculum options conveniently on one campus.

Datin Teh has had a diverse education experience abroad, both at tertiary and school levels. She graduated from Yale University under a Yale scholarship and also spent a year as a high school foreign exchange student in the U.S. under the American Field Service (AFS) programme.

Dominic is a Partner and Managing Director at TPG. He has lived and worked in Asia since joining the firm in 2005 and, in that time, has been engaged with investments throughout the Asia Pacific region. He and his family live in Singapore, where he has been resident since 2010.

His involvement with current and past TPG portfolio companies includes, Vietnam Australia International School (VAS) – where he is Chairman, Aviva Singlife, PropertyGuru, 8990 (Deca Homes), BFI Finance, Masan Group, Fairmont Raffles Hotels, and Bank BTPN.

Prior to TPG, Dominic worked in the Investment Banking Division of Credit Suisse First Boston in Melbourne, primarily focused on mergers and acquisitions in Australia and New Zealand.

A native of Australia, he received a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours – Finance) and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Melbourne.

As Head of School for XCL World Academy, Sean P. O’Maonaigh has over 35 years of experience in international education.

He was previously Head of the European International School, Ho Chi Minh City and has held leadership positions at St. Andrew’s College Dublin, International School of Amsterdam, International School of Tanganyika, Overseas School of Colombo, International School Ho Chi Minh City and St. Andrew’s International Schools, Bangkok.

Additionally, he has consulted as the Director of Quality Assurance for a large schools’ group, working with British, US and Australian curricula schools in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore. He also served as the Director of Bilingual Programs for Vinschool Vietnam, establishing Cambridge International Education schools in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

During his career Sean has been actively involved in various capacities with the International Baccalaureate Organization, the Council of International Schools, the Academy of International School Heads and is a past Vice-President of the East Asia Regional Council of School.

Sean engages with management, staff, teachers, and parents to ensure focus on personalized learning for each individual student and he brings his leadership to bear to grow individual abilities and organizational capacity for planned sustainable institutional improvement.

Duncan joined GEMS Education in April 2018. Prior to joining GEMS, he was the founding Headmaster of Malvern College Egypt, establishing a school with a clear emphasis on learning and putting students at the center of every decision. Duncan oversaw all College functions and events, marketing, sport and music as well as overall operations of the College. He Led the College Leadership Team in the build year and initial start-up year with responsibility for all areas of the development timeline. The College achieved an A* report from Malvern College UK in its first Quality Assurance inspection.

Before moving to Egypt, Duncan was Deputy Head of College and Head of Junior School at Dulwich College Suzhou (DCSZ), China – a renowned school within the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA) region. He helped develop DSCZ from its beginning and was chair of the steering committee which guided DSCZ through the Council of International Schools accreditation, making the school one of the youngest schools ever to be awarded this prestigious international stamp of approval. 

Duncan first taught overseas in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2000. There he was the Mathematics coordinator and then Key Stage Two Coordinator with responsibility for sixteen classes and member of the Primary SMT of the British International School, Jakarta. Duncan was a member of the steering committee which saw the school accredited as a full member of the Council of International Schools. He also ran the school boarding house for two years. Duncan was awarded a Heart of Gold Award by the students, governors and SMT for his services to the school community in 2007.

Prior to moving to Jakarta, Duncan was Head of Year 6, teacher governor and science coordinator at New Bradwell Combined School in Milton Keynes.

Duncan holds a B.A. (Hons) from St John’s College York with a Major in History and American Studies. He also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Wales. He is currently completing his dissertation for a Masters in Education through the University of Bath. Additionally, Duncan has been a registered ISI school inspector.

As CEO of the Vietnam Australia International School, Tarek Razik has over 30 years of experience as a teacher, principal, and head of schools around the world.

Going on 20 years in Asia, he has taken on school management and leadership roles throughout Asia, including with XCL Education in Malaysia. He was previously the Head of School at Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS), Indonesia. Prior to JIS, he had served in leadership roles at Shanghai American School, NIST International School, and The International School of Beijing.

During his career Tarek has also served on the Council of International Schools (CIS) board, the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS) board as well as the American Chamber of Commerce board in Jakarta.

Tarek holds a Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Columbia University, a Master’s degree in Multicultural Education from St. Michaels College, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Vermont.

As an educator who has experienced and observed the changing needs of society and education for more than 30 years, Tarek firmly believes that education is not just the amount of information that is put into a child’s brain, but it must address the individual needs of students and the expectations of the world we live in today and tomorrow. He is committed to ensuring a learning environment where every student can thrive, achieve their full potential, take initiative and navigate their own future.

Lady is a School Director at both The American School of Bangkok Sukhumvit campus and D-PREP International School.  She founded D-PREP International School in 2018 with a strong and clear school vision that children should be encouraged to dream of limitless possibilities, discover their potential, and deliver positive change to themselves and the world.

Upon her teaching experience in private and public schools in New York City after completing her master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, she formed her vision that education should be a balanced combination of tradition and innovation, academics and creativity, and external and internal growth. She believes that every child can thrive and succeed academically, personally, and professionally if they also develop essential life skills that include self and social management, self-discovery, problem-solving capabilities, and being active citizens in society. She provides professional development to teachers and works directly with students, teachers, and staff on topics such as practicing mindfulness, overcoming our fears, resilience, adaptability, and developing self-understanding to create a culture where compassionate and self-reflective individuals work together to create a positive and dynamic community.

Additionally, she serves on the Committee of International Schools Association Thailand (ISAT) in collaborating and supporting 200+ international schools in Thailand.

Lili Mariah has been in education for more than 20 years, joining Sri KDU Secondary School since 2019. As an educator, Lili has a wealth of experience, having held various roles in teaching, researching, content writing, teacher training, curriculum development, establishing clear operational structures, and more.

As Deputy Principal, she was instrumental in leading the Sri KDU Secondary School to seamlessly transition to online learning during the pandemic. Despite the many challenges presented, Lili’s dedication and commitment to the growth of her students led her to introduce local and international co-curricular initiatives that enhanced learning experiences for students.

During her tenure as Head of School in a previous school, Lili was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for academic excellence – a high percentage of students had scored As in the national examinations. She has always been actively involved in extra-curricular activities that greatly contribute to the holistic development of students.

Lili believes that a strong and well-rounded education comprising of both academic excellence and meaningful experiences in co-curricular activities positively shape students to help them thrive in life.

In her free time, Lili enjoys reading and doing volunteer work. Some of her previous volunteer endeavours include charity drives, 30% Club and talent development for adolescents.

Herman has lived and worked in Asia for over 16 years and spent the past 8 years working in start-up companies ranging from financial services, employee benefits, education and non-profit.​

Before moving to Singapore, Herman worked in a trading company in China focused on the VOIP market. When joining Hewlett-Packard as a Global Service Manager, Herman made the move to Singapore.​

In the Netherlands, Herman ran a successful IT consultancy company with clients like the Free University of Amsterdam, Dutch Regional Police Force, Hewlett-Packard, Canon Europe and Epson Europe.​

Herman has a Bachelor in Software Engineering from the Haagse Hogeschool Netherlands​.

Anthony Partington has 20 years’ experience as a teacher and school leader, joining GEMS International School Tropicana Metropark, soon to be Sri KDU International School Subang Jaya, in February 2019 as Principal.  Anthony was appointed as Executive Principal to lead all Sri KDU Schools in January 2022.

Anthony originally worked in the City of London in public, media and analyst relations, after studying English Language and Literature at Christ Church, University of Oxford, but a passion for Literature and an interest life-long learning led him to Trinity College, University of Cambridge to train as an English teacher in 2002. He has worked at a number of schools in Cambridgeshire, England, including pastoral leadership and leading the internationally renowned English and media faculty across the Parkside Federation of academies in Cambridge.

Anthony joined Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT) in 2010 as an Assistant Principal to support the improvement of one school and left after eight years, ultimately working as CMAT’s Executive Director of Education and an Executive Principal responsible for the quality assurance of all the academies and teacher professional development from initial teacher training to leadership succession planning and development.  Along the way, he was a principal of an academy in Lincolnshire, England, securing its best ever examination results and inspection judgement.

Whilst completing a Masters with UCL Institute of Education, Anthony conducted research into and published on the teaching of literacy.  He is a frequent conference speaker, presenting on school leadership and English teaching and editor of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and ‘Twelfth Night’ in the Cambridge University Press Cambridge School Shakespeare series.  He has been a governor and a director of a number of schools and colleges and chaired the school-improvement board in the largest county authority in England.  He is a qualified leadership coach.

Anthony believes in a whole education striving for academic excellence and great examination results, whist providing the experiences and building the character skills that student need to thrive and succeed.

Mr Jeffrey Chew joined Paramount on 1 July 2014 as its Group CEO and was appointed to the Board on 8 June 2015.

He began his career at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in 1987 and thereafter, joined Citibank Berhad in 1991, leaving as General Manager of Commercial Banking.

In 2003, he joined OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (OCBC) as Head of SME Businesses, and was subsequently promoted to Head of Business Banking. He was then appointed Director and CEO of OCBC in August 2008, a position that he helmed for six years. During his tenure at OCBC, he also served as a Director of Credit Bureau (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia Berhad and OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad.

As the Group CEO of Paramount, Mr Chew is responsible for the management of the Group’s businesses and ensures that the Group’s businesses deliver consistent shareholder value.

Under his management, Paramount has experienced consistent revenue growth over the past five years. It has also garnered numerous awards, including the “Highest Returns to Shareholders Over 3 Years” for the Property Sector at The Edge Malaysia Centurion Club Corporate Awards 2019. Paramount also rose to 13th place in 2019 for The Edge Property Excellence Awards rankings, up from 25th place in 2014.

Mr Chew was on the Advisory Committee of ACCA Malaysia up to 2017. He is currently an Independent Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Asian Banking School and a member of the Small Debt Resolution Committee of Bank Negara Malaysia.

Darin Carney has over 30 years of educational experience both in the United States and Southeast Asia, including 25 years in educational leadership with experience in roles including Superintendent, Executive Director, Head of Schools, Principal, and Chief Operations Officer.

Prior to joining XCL American Academy, Darin was the Chief Operations Officer at Vietnam Australia International School (VAS) where he oversaw broad improvements in educational offerings and administration across the group of schools. Prior to VAS, he was the Superintendent of Cambridge Christian School in Minnesota, as well as the Head of School at Buena Vista Concordia International School (one of the top 5 international schools in China) in Shenzhen, China.

Darin has deep experience in starting and building successful American schools, including a new school in Xiandu, China, as well as in Colorado, USA during his time as Principal of the Cherry Creek School District.

Darin is known for his consistent, confident and calm leadership style which fosters dedication and commitment from his staff, inspiring both educators and students to strive for the highest levels of achievement. He values new opportunities to meet people, observe how schools and organisations operate, and lead teams of diverse groups of people in education.

He is completing a Ed.D in Educational Leadership and Design from the Walden University in Minneapolis, and holds a MA in Administration, Supervision, and Curriculum Development from the University of Colorado at Denver, and a BA in Elementary Education from the Metropolitan State College in Denver, CO. He is a husband and proud father of three successful young men, a world traveler, a college professor, and also a basketball coach.

George Piacentini has spent over 30 years leading schools around the world. He holds a B.Ed in Primary Education, a Diploma in Religious Education and is a graduate from Glasgow University. He spent two years teaching in Scotland before joining Qatar International School, Doha as classroom teacher, whole school science coordinator and general science teacher for Key Stage 3. He then moved to Sandford International School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as Head of Years 5 and 6 and Director of the Summer School. Seeking new adventures he went to work in The British School of Caracas, Venezuela as Head of Junior School. He was then promoted to Head of Primary School at The International School of Moshi then went on to become Elementary Principal at The International School of Singapore. After six years in Southeast Asia, he wanted a further challenge so he joined The International School of Helsinki as Head of Lower School.

After several years he was invited to be Principal of Ihsan Dogramaci Bilkent Erbil College in Iraq, a foundation school, offering an IB Programme up to Key Stage 5 then moved to Nigeria to be Principal of The International School of IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture), a school that offered IB, using English National Curriculum standards, in Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and English National Curriculum in Key Stage 3.

He is founder and executive director of George Piacentini Consultancy (GPC) focused on supporting School Improvement. GPC has most recently advised a variety of international and national educational organizations in Nigeria, helping them develop a better understanding of how to effectively implement child protection procedures and practices in their organizations. George has also been very involved in the Council of International Schools (CIS) School evaluation and accreditation process, supporting school improvement, by leading teams that have visiting schools all over the world. He has also led joint accreditation and synchronized visits with CIS/New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) / Middle Schools Association (MSA)/ Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). He is currently leading a new CIS online accreditation protocol.

He is certified in International School Leadership from the Principals’ Training Center, Miami and London. In addition, he has gained further professional credentials through the International Leadership and Management Programme at Bath University. He is currently a member of the Graduate School at the University of Exeter where he is further developing his passion for Educational Leadership with a focus on teaching and learning in a global context. He has supported the candidacy, authorization and re-authorization of IB programmes in various international schools around the world.

He is passionate about school improvement with a particular focus on a school’s Guiding Statements, Learning, Well-Being and being a Global Citizen.

Prior to joining XCL Education, Emily has fourteen years of Investment Banking experience at J.P. Morgan in Singapore and Vietnam, originating and leading many capital markets, private placements and mergers & acquisitions transactions across the East Asia region.

At J.P. Morgan she was most recently the Head of Investment Banking for Vietnam, where she set out business strategies and developed growth initiatives for the franchise while advising clients and leading cross-border transactions across a full spectrum of industries and products. She previously managed the Consumer and Retail Investment Banking, East Asia team driving a number of sizeable regional deals. Emily was a representative of the Investment Banking division for the J.P. Morgan APAC Inclusive Leadership Program in 2019/2020. 

Emily received a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from University College London.

Mr Cheli completed his Bachelor of Education (Hons) in English Literature from University of Otago, New Zealand and is certified in teaching English as a Second Language from Massey University, New Zealand. He also holds the National Professional Qualification of Educational Leaders (NPQEL) from MOE and has served as Vice Principal since 2007 for several schools including SMK Bandar Kuching (1) in Sarawak, SMK Sinar Bintang KL, and SMK Menjalara KL.

Mr Cheli is the founder of the ‘Reading Bus Club’, an NGO that provides books to marginalised children in rural and urban poor communities. The HELP or ‘Helpful English Language Programmes’ won him the Innovative Teacher of The Year Award in 1994. He also founded ‘Positive Attitude Builds Character’ (www.pabc.my), an Attitude Management System that empowers students to take ownership of their education. In his last year of service in public schools, Mr Cheli initiated and coordinated the ‘Cutting Edge Zones’ (CEZ) which involves the digitalization of classrooms to transform the way teachers teach and the way students learn.

As a reflection of his extraordinary 36-year career in education, Mr Cheli has won the ‘Excellent Service Award’ from the Ministry of Education on five occasions (1994, 2003, 2009, 2013 & 2019); an achievement very few public servants in Malaysian history have attained.

Pn. Shamsiah’s teaching experience spans over 28 years, in Hong Kong and Malaysia. In her career as an educator, she has taught the international and national curricula. She joined Sri KDU Primary School in 2004 as a Science and Mathematics teacher before she was promoted to the post of Head of Academic & Assessment for Lower Primary in 2009. She was appointed as the Deputy Principal in 2013 and currently serves as the Principal of the National Primary School. She holds a degree in English Language (Hons) with majors in English Literature and a Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

In her role as the Principal of the school, she leads and supports the teachers closely in Teaching and Learning and is responsible in encouraging their growth and development through the schools Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme throughout the year. Fortunately, her team of dedicated senior leadership team and the teachers share the same value of enriching the lives of children for a better world.

Pn Shamsiah’s vast experience in education has afforded her opportunities to foster classroom community, design curriculum and mentor the team of teachers. With her genial personality, she establishes meaningful relationships with the teachers, children and parents of the school. She is committed to ensuring that all children have equal opportunities to develop their skills, shine in their areas of interest and reach their true potential in a safe and caring environment. She is proud to be part of the Sri KDU Primary School community, and hopes to lead the school to further achievements.

Hafiz is a Senior Advisor to TPG Capital. He started his career with CIMB Investment Bank in 2004 where he experienced roles in the Group CEO’s Office, Investment Banking and a stint in Indonesia with CIMB Niaga. Hafiz subsequently joined Khazanah Nasional’s strategy team in 2016 where he worked on projects involving Khazanah’s investment portfolio and overall corporate strategy. Hafiz holds a degree in Economics from the University of Warwick.

Richard has worked in the education sector for nearly 30 years, in 3 continents and across a network of thousands of schools. Born in Scotland, he was raised in Australia and began his teaching career in the state and private education systems of Queensland, Australia.

His education includes a Degree in Biological and Chemical Sciences as well as a Master in Education. In the year 2000, Richard moved to Jakarta, Indonesia at a prominent school and was shortly promoted to Principal of Secondary School. During this time the school implemented the International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes (DP, MYP and PYP). In 2005, Richard was again promoted to Head of school for K-12 and worked in this capacity until 2011.

Richard led this school through a sustained period of growth and advancement, as well as serving on many Boards and Committees strengthening the school community whilst creating a positive impact on the children’s lives through education.

He served as a member of the Asia Pacific Regional Council for the IB as well as representing Asia Pacific on the IB DP Committee. He was and remains an evaluator of the IB Educator Certificate (offered by universities around the world) as well as a Session Observer of the IB Professional Development workshops with the responsibility of monitoring high quality education delivery.

Richard is also a qualified Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC-USA) accreditation team member, and he facilitated the establishment of educational groups such as the Indonesian Network of IB schools.

In 2011, he began work for the International Baccalaureate based in The Hague, The Netherlands. As Head of School Services for Africa, Europe and the Middle East he was responsible for overseeing the authorisation and evaluation of all IB schools in those regions. He then became Head of Development and Recognition working with all schools implementing IB programmes as well as engaging with government ministries and higher education institutions.

In 2015, Richard moved to the USA and took up a new role within the IB as Director of Global School Services. These responsibilities included the oversight of authorisation and evaluation of all IB schools across the world, developing key relations with accreditation bodies such as the Council of International Schools (CIS) and NEASC, as well as the design and implementation of new school enhancement services.

Throughout his career Richard has focused his energy and knowledge on school transformation to deliver the best education possible for students to enrich their lives. He fundamentally believes that the stronger the triangle of partnership (student, parent, teacher) within a school community, the more effective every child’s educational experience will be.