A Celebration of Performance and Confidence at XCL’s Got Talent 2026

QUALIFICATION

• • BA Hons – Sussex University – Philosophy & English Literature
  • PGCE – Brighton University – Primary Education
  • NPQ Headship

Marianne is a Primary Teacher from London with over 20 years of experience in education, including 8 years in senior leadership. She began her career in the UK as a teaching assistant supporting children with SEND before progressing to teaching roles in KS1 and KS2.

Marianne then moved to a British International school in El Salvador, where she most recently served as Head of Primary. She specialises in Early Years provision and the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), with a strong passion for fostering a lifelong love of reading. Throughout her career, she has led whole-school improvement initiatives, curriculum development, and successfully managed international accreditations — always prioritising inclusion, creativity, and high academic standards.

Outside of her professional work, Marianne enjoys history podcasts, swimming, sewing, and playing board games. She is eager to bring her energy, and dedication to her new role.

QUALIFICATION

• • BA Hons – University of Huddersfield – Politics
  • PGCE – Manchester Metropolitan University – Social Sciences and Psychology
  • National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL)

Liam has 16 years of experience in international schools across multiple countries. He holds a degree in Politics, a PGCE in Secondary Education, Social Science and Citizenship. He also gained a NPQSL recently in June 2024. Throughout his career, he has successfully led diverse teams in roles such as Head of Department and Director of Academics.

QUALIFICATION

• • BA Hons – University of Winchester – Drama and Theatre Studies
  • PGCE – University of Reading – Secondary Education : Drama (QTS)

Since qualifying Clare has taught in a range of schools and educational settings such as public and private schools, language centres, English summer programmes and charity organisations. She has over 12 years’ experience of teaching students from the ages of 3 up to adults aged 21, ranging from pre-school curriculum to IGCSEs. Highlights in her career include being in the role of Head of Drama within a new school in South East London, delivering a Speech and Drama programme to students visiting from Hong Kong, and working at a summer camp in the US.

Clare thoroughly enjoys the variety and opportunities that teaching offers to support students from an array of different backgrounds and countries. Her students quickly catch her enthusiasm for Drama and Public Speaking and encourages them to be fluent effective and confident communicators with the Arts. She has organised and facilitated many projects outside of the classroom including school productions competitions and festivals. Clare truly believes in the power of offering as many opportunities as possible, to use Drama as a tool in developing the academic, social and personal strengths of each individual.

In her spare time, Clare loves climbing mountains and discovering new places.

QUALIFICATION

• MBA – The University of Texas, Austin – Business Administration

Jiro Takahashi is the Group Chief Financial Officer at XCL Education, having joined in April 2024. He oversees the Group’s financial strategy, including the development of financial and tax strategies, directing strategic business plans, and enhancing financial and management reporting systems. He is also responsible for maintaining key relationships and leading the finance team to support business growth and operational excellence across all markets.

Jiro brings substantial financial leadership experience across the Asia Pacific region, specialising in corporate finance. Before joining XCL Education, he was the Chief Financial Officer for OCS Group UK, a global facility services provider, where he led the finance function across Asia Pacific, initiating strategies that significantly enhanced the region’s profitability and strategic positioning. Prior to this, he served as the Chief Financial Officer for Thailand and corporate development for Asia Pacific at Laureate International Universities, overseeing the company’s financial strategy and contributing to the financial success of Laureate and its institutions. Earlier in his career, Jiro held multiple finance roles of increasing responsibilities with Yum Brands in the US and Asia Pacific.

With over 20 years of experience in financial management, Jiro holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from The University of Texas at Austin. He has a proven track record of leading financial transformations, implementing robust financial controls, and aligning financial practices with organisational goals.

QUALIFICATION

• • BA Hons – Shahid Beheshti University – English Language Literature
  • MA – Tehran University – Teaching English as a Second Language
  • PhD – UKM – Teaching English as a Second Language

Maryam is an experienced educator with a rich academic background, holding a Ph.D. in Humanities and Social Science with a focus on teaching and feedback, and a master’s degree in Languages and Linguistics. With over 15 years of experience in the field, she currently serves as a History teacher for KS4 and KS5, having previously worked as an FLE teacher.

Her teaching style reflects a dynamic blend of linguistic expertise and social science perspectives, fostering an inclusive and engaging learning environment for students of various age groups. Classes go beyond conventional approaches, emphasizing interactive discussions, collaborative projects, and real-world applications to ensure students not only grasp the subject matter but also develop crucial skills.

Central to Maryam’s philosophy is the cultivation of a growth mindset, where mistakes are viewed as opportunities for learning and improvement. She places a strong emphasis on constructive feedback, creating a supportive atmosphere that nurtures both academic and personal growth. Maryam’s dedication to shaping well-rounded individuals through a holistic approach to education, combined with her extensive experience, establishes her as an invaluable asset to the school community.

QUALIFICATION

• • BA Hons – Manchester Metropolitan University
  • PGCE – Manchester Metropolitan University
  • MEd – University of Manchester

Over the past two decades, Simon has worked as a teacher and leader in both local and international schools throughout Asia.  He enjoys working with children of all ages and from a range of backgrounds and seeing them grow and develop as they move through the primary school and beyond. The best part of his job is hearing something unexpected from the students. Outside of school, Simon enjoys reading and sport.

QUALIFICATION

• • BEd Hons – Plymouth Marjon University – Plymouth Marjon University
  • NPQ – Senior Leadership (ongoing)

The Head of Enrichment & Wider Learning is a newly created role this year, with a focus on Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs), enriching trips, and expanding learning experiences beyond the confines of the classroom.

In 2021, Joe embarked on his journey into International Teaching, relocating to Malaysia. His role at the school has now transitioned from Cluster Director for Sport, to taking on this new role, bringing to it a range of experience and commitment to holistic education.

A sports enthusiast from a young age, Joe’s love for physical activity led him into coaching, where he discovered his passion for mentoring and motivating others. He decided to further his skills through teacher training in Plymouth, earning a Bachelor of Education degree. After teaching for two years working in a school in Cornwall, Joe returned to his hometown of Bristol, where he made a significant impact at a comprehensive secondary school during his 5 years in post. His commitment to student welfare led him to specialise in a middle leadership role as Head of House and eventually Assistant Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead.

At the heart of Joe’s philosophy lies a genuine desire to offer students enriching experiences beyond traditional learning. Whether through Co-Curricular Activities, exciting trips, or other learning experiences outside of the taught curriculum, Joe remains committed to providing opportunities for holistic character development.

QUALIFICATION

• Post-Graduate Degrees – University of Paris-La Sorbonne – Business & Finance
• Post-Graduate Degrees – University of Paris-La Sorbonne – Philosophy

Gilles Mahe is the Group CEO of XCL Education. Gilles has worked in leadership roles across a multitude of sectors in Asia since 2000 and has spent ~20 years leading organizations and managing operations in Asia Pacific. He brings with him deep experience managing large service-oriented organizations, where he had the privilege of building diverse teams, working with passionate people, and nurturing a culture of collaboration and excellence.

Gilles has ~7 years of extensive experience working in the education sector. Gilles was the Thailand & Myanmar CEO of Laureate International Universities, the world’s leading higher education provider, where he built and expanded Laureate’s activities in Southeast Asia. As the CEO, Gilles was instrumental in expanding Laureate’s presence in new geographies, launching innovative offline and online programs, turning around universities, scaling existing universities, and expanding the reputation and credibility of the overall group in Southeast Asia. As a father of three, he is a firm believer in the transformative power of education and the significant roles that schools play in shaping the lives of students and preparing them for what comes next.

Prior to XCL Education, Gilles was the Asia Pacific CEO for OCS Group, the world’s largest family-owned facilities management services company. At OCS, he played a pivotal role in building out the leadership team, executing the commercial transformation of the business, and acquiring & integrating other facilities management businesses. He has also served as the Managing Director for Asia and Vice President for APAC of Sodexo Group, a Fortune Global 500 company that is the leading provider of Food and Facilities Management services.

Gilles holds dual Post-graduate degrees in Business & Finance and Philosophy from the University of Paris-La Sorbonne in France.

QUALIFICATION

• BA Hons – Regent’s University London – European Business Studies
• MBA – Henley Business School – Strategic Management

Marcel Van Miert is a Senior Advisor to TPG in Southeast Asia. Marcel has almost 3 decades of extensive experience working exclusively in the education sector.

Prior to TPG, Marcel served as the Executive Chairman of Vietnam Australia International School (VAS) for ~8 years. Prior to VAS, Marcel spent 4 years as the Group CEO of WCL Group, a PE-backed school chain now part of Nord Anglia, and 3 years as the Managing Director of the Schools Division at Nord Anglia.

Marcel has also served several other education companies in multiple capacities including Sommet Education (a network of hospitality schools), VUS (English Language Training Centers), EBS London (UK’s first private accredited Business School), INK Education, Sri KDU Schools, and Europreneur Consultants.

Marcel received a Bachelor’s in Arts from Regent’s University London and MBA from Henley Business School in the UK.

QUALIFICATION

• BA Hons – Edge Hill University – Education (QTS)
• MEdLd – University of Auckland – Educational Leadership

David Wilcock is an educator with a passion for teaching and a strong commitment to education. He completed his BA (QTS) at Edge Hill University in the UK, where he gained a solid foundation in teaching methodologies and education theory. He then pursued a Masters of Educational Leadership at The University of Auckland in New Zealand to further develop his skills and knowledge in the field.

Throughout his career, he has held various posts in different parts of the world. He started in Milton Keynes in the UK, where he gained valuable experience teaching in a diverse classroom setting. After that, he moved to Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand, where he held many leadership roles and demonstrated his ability to manage teams and lead school-wide initiatives.

In 2017, David decided to pursue a new challenge by joining Dubai’s Emirates International School. There, he was able to bring his extensive leadership experience to a different international setting and contribute to the school’s continued success. Prior to joining Sri KDU International School, Subang Jaya, he served as the Head of Primary at The English College in the UAE, a British School Overseas ‘Outstanding’ School, where he continues to apply his expertise in educational leadership to create a positive learning environment for students.

QUALIFICATION

• BA Hons – Winchester University – Drama & Dance Studies
• PGCE – London Metropolitan University – Secondary Teaching (English, Media and Drama Studies)

Katherine Beadle has worked in education for the last 20 years. She grew up in Surrey, England, and holds a BA in Drama and Dance Studies from Winchester University, where she was awarded a BA Honours degree. During her time there, she took modules in community theatre and worked in a pupil referral unit for students who had been permanently excluded from school. It was at this point that she realised teaching was her calling, as it provided her with a genuine opportunity to change young people’s attitudes towards life. Following this, she pursued further studies at London Metropolitan University and was awarded a PGCE in Secondary Teaching, specialising in English, Media, and Drama Studies.

She embarked on her teaching career at a challenging school in a deprived area in South London, serving as the Head of Performing Arts. Subsequently, she moved to another challenging school in North London, taking on the role of Performing and Creative Arts Innovator, overseeing Music, Art, Drama, Dance, and Physical Education.

Eager for a change and a desire to share her leadership experience, Katherine relocated to Seremban, Malaysia, in 2015, where she assumed the position of Head of Performing Arts and SLT for Teaching and Learning. Sharing her expertise and knowledge with other expatriates and local teachers proved to be incredibly rewarding, and she made a positive impact on the school through her teaching and staff training.

She also served as the Principal of a start-up school in Ipoh, Perak. There, she faced the challenges of nurturing a school from its inception and is immensely proud of how far the school has grown, especially achieving exceptional results in their two years of IGCSE examinations.

QUALIFICATION

• BSc Hons – University of Durham – Sport & Exercise Science
• PGCE – University of Durham – Education

Cassie Fleming is an experienced leader, having held senior roles among some of the prestigious day schools in London before moving to Malaysia over four years ago. She has taught in both the public and private sectors in the United Kingdom, including secondary schools (11-18 years old) and preparatory schools (2.5-13 years old). The preparatory schools she taught at include King Charles II’s which she attended in her youth and a GEMS Day school that is in London’s affluent Chelsea neighbourhood. She holds a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education from the University of Durham.

Cassie was the Head of Secondary at Sri KDU Subang Jaya before becoming Principal, and she has proven to be a committed leader who aims to provide the best opportunity for students under her supervision. She believes in the one per cent rule (aggregation of marginal gains) and encourages students as well as educators to adopt this perspective.

Cassie is a visionary that strives to improve all curriculum areas at the Sri KDU Subang Jaya campus. She works relentlessly to ensure that students have more than just academic opportunities; students need to have the chance to grow as individuals as well as achieve vital, outstanding academic accomplishments. Her focus on developing future leaders through avenues such as life skills development and providing more opportunities is at the core of her philosophy, ensuring students leave school with more than just results but the ability to thrive in life.

Cassie is also an avid sports enthusiast who has competed at the national level in swimming and netball. She also excels at table tennis, badminton, and tennis.

QUALIFICATION

• BA Hons – University of Oxford – English Language and Literature
• PGCE – University of Cambridge – Secondary English and Drama
• NPQH – Institute of Education, London – National Professional Qualification for Headship
• MA – University of Oxford
• MA – Institute of Education, London – Media, Culture and Communication

Anthony is the Chief Executive Officer of XCL Education Malaysia. Anthony completed his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at Christ Church, University of Oxford. After leaving Oxford, Anthony worked in the City of London in public, media and analyst relations. A passion for English Literature and life-long learning led him to being asked to work first as a teacher as part of the reforms at a school in Bolton and then 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 the Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT) in 2010 to support the improvement of Nene Park Academy, where he worked as Assistant Principal leading on the development of the sixth form, literacy, English as an additional language, special needs and latterly as the Vice Principal with responsibility for the curriculum, timetable and student achievement throughout the academy. In July 2014, Anthony was appointed as Principal of Stamford Welland Academy with the brief to deliver the ‘Stamford Free School’ vision. During his time here, the school secured its best examination results and Ofsted inspection judgment in its history. In September 2017, he became CMAT’s Executive Director of Education responsible for the quality assurance of all the academies and teacher professional development from initial teacher training to leadership succession planning and development.

In February 2019, Anthony joined GEMS as the Principal of GEMS International School Tropicana Metropark, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 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. 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 in learning, work and life. In his spare time, Anthony enjoys travel, film, theatre, music, singing, running, and exercise.

QUALIFICATION

• LLB – University College London

Datuk Ganendran Sarvananthan, is a Managing Partner at TPG Capital Asia and its Head of South East 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 a decade before he joined TPG in 2014. More importantly, Datuk Ganen has played a key role in TPG Capital Asia’s investment in Vietnam Australian International School (VAS) which is one of the fastest growing school groups in Vietnam.

QUALIFICATION

• BH-COM – University of Melbourne – Finance
• LLB – University of Melbourne

Mr Dominic John Picone is a Partner and Managing Director at TPG, based in Singapore. 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 that represent more than $1.5b of committed equity capital.

His involvement with current and past TPG portfolio companies includes Apollo Towers, Vietnam Australia International School (VAS), Myanmar Distillery Company / Grand Royal Group, PropertyGuru, 8990 (Deca Homes), BFI Finance, Masan Group, Fairmont Raffles Hotels, Bank BTPN, United Test & Assembly Center (UTAC), and CIMB.

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

QUALIFICATION

• BS – Northern Illinois University – Economics
• MBA – University of Chicago Booth School of Business – Finance

Experienced CEO with a demonstrated track record of creating shareholder value in the education management industry. Strong business development professional skilled in Business Planning, Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital, Management, Mergers & Acquisitions.

QUALIFICATION

• BA Hons – University of Cambridge – History and Social & Political Sciences
• MPA – John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University – Public Administration
• EMBA – Tsinghua University

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.

QUALIFICATION

• BSc Hons – University of Warwick – Economics

En. Wan Hafiz Hamzah Bin Wan Hussien 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. He subsequently joined Khazanah Nasional’s strategy team in 2016 where he worked on projects involving Khazanah’s investment portfolio and overall corporate strategy.

En. Wan Hafiz Hamzah holds a degree in Economics from the University of Warwick.