Governance at ISA
The International School of Athens is proud to be part of Dukes Education, a family of schools and educational organisations across the UK and Europe. Each school within Dukes Education maintains its own distinctive identity and ethos, while being united by a shared commitment to delivering outstanding teaching and learning
Our Governance Structure
Governance at ISA ensures that the school is well-led, forward-thinking, and focused on the best outcomes for our students. The Governors work strategically with the Head and Senior Leadership Team to guide the long‑term strategic goals, vision and priorities of the school. Their role includes supporting and challenging leadership, monitoring educational quality, reviewing progress, and ensuring that statutory duties are fulfilled.
The Governors act as a “critical friend” - a trusted partner who offers constructive challenges while supporting the school’s continued growth and success. Operational responsibilities remain firmly with the Head and Senior Leadership Team. The Governors’ focus is on strategy, oversight, safety, wellbeing, and long‑term school improvement, reflecting the governance approach used across the Dukes Education family.
Our Governors
David Fitzgerald, CEO Dukes Education Europe, Chair of Governors
David Fitzgerald is an experienced school and system leader with over 30 years of experience in education and having previously worked for the Reserve Bank of Australia. He holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Undergraduate degrees in Education and Business. David joins Dukes from Education in Motion (EiM), the leading Asia based school group that includes the Dulwich and Green School brands. In his role with EiM, he was responsible for the educational outcomes and the quality of education provision for all EiM international curricula schools and is focused on improving education quality.
David has been a successful Head/Principal of five schools across government, private independent and international sectors. He has been involved in international education since 2006 and has worked in IB World Schools, US Curriculum schools, Indian Curriculum schools and NCfE schools. David has system leadership experience with the English Schools Foundation in Hong Kong and with GEMS Education in the UAE where he was Senior Vice President – for US and IB Schools. David is an accredited IB, CIS and WASC team visitor and Chair, and an accredited Performance Coach.
Philippe Grosskost Managing Director, Central Europe
Philippe is a senior professional, with over twenty-five years’ experience of working in training, education and general management positions, mainly in Europe and also the Middle East and North America. Philippe brings a wealth of experience across a range of different sectors including consulting, distribution, vocational training and Higher & K-12 education management.
During his career, Philippe has built, managed and motivated multicultural, international teams around the world. He has previously been Managing Director (EMEA) for ETS Global, a subsidiary of ETS, the world leader in business certification, educational testing and consultancy (known for GRE, SAT, TOEFL and TOEIC). He then joined an education start-up financed by the Varkey Foundation and lead by Jeffrey Beard, the ex-Director General of the IB. After that inspirational experience, he co-founded a business school in Geneva before joining ISP in early 2022 where he contributed to the growth of the region from 4 to 10 schools. In 2024, Philippe joined Dukes Education as Managing Director for Central and Eastern Europe, recognising that the Dukes values and its founding ethos of nurturing young people so they can achieve their full potential, resonate strongly with his own aspirations.
Philippe has a Bachelor’s degree in political science, from Sciences Po in Strasbourg and a Master of Business Administration from ICN, one of the world’s top 50 FT schools. He has completed a Harvard Business School leadership program and has been trained on case-based teaching, also by Harvard Business School.
Brought up in Alsace, in the East of France, Philippe enjoys cycling, travelling and spending his free time with his family.
Claire Little, Director of People, Europe
Claire Little is the Director of People for Dukes Education Europe. Claire has led the organisation’s people strategy since 2019 initially within for UK, and latterly for Europe from 2024. With more than three decades of experience in HR, talent management, and organisational development, Claire brings a highly commercial and strategic approach to cultivating exceptional employee experiences and building highperforming teams.
Before joining Dukes Education, Claire held senior leadership roles including Group HR Director at Active Care Group and Global Head of Talent Management at Arvato (Bertelsmann), where she delivered major global talent initiatives and succession planning programmes. Earlier in her career, she spent over 12 years at CEB (now Gartner), progressing through multiple leadership roles across professional services, emerging markets, and global development.
Claire holds a BA (Hons) in Social Policy & Economics from the University of Plymouth and is an FCIPD-qualified HR leader. Known for her energy, commercial acumen, and people-centred leadership style, she is passionate about supporting organisations through thoughtful, strategically aligned people practices.
Christopher Durbin, External Governor
Christopher Durbin brings nearly a decade of experience in international school accreditation through his work with the Council of International Schools (CIS), most recently serving as Associate Director of School Support & Evaluation. In this role, he has partnered with schools across the world to drive continuous improvement and strengthen educational quality.
Before joining CIS, Christopher was a School Development Adviser for the English Schools Foundation (ESF) in Hong Kong, where he oversaw quality assurance, strategic curriculum development, and professional learning. He also served on several ESF governing bodies and contributed to the recruitment and support of school leaders.
Christopher’s earlier career in the UK included positions as a teacher, head of faculty, and advisory teacher for Derbyshire LEA. He later joined the BBC as an Education Officer, leading the development of the GCSE Bitesize online learning platform. He went on to work as an advisor and inspector for Staffordshire LEA, contributing to inspection frameworks, curriculum innovation, and national teacher‑networking initiatives.
A published writer and experienced presenter, Christopher has authored articles and textbooks and delivered keynotes and workshops at national and international conferences, particularly in the field of global citizenship education.
Beyond his professional life, Christopher is a lifelong environmentalist and avid cyclist. A cancer survivor, he regularly takes part in long‑distance charity rides, raising funds for myeloma and heart‑research initiatives. He is most at home in the wilderness or completing a challenging 100‑kilometre cycling route.
Daniela Vasile, Director of Learning, Central & South Europe
For over 25 years, Dr Daniela Vasile has led change in schools internationally, driven by integrity, strategic thinking, and a belief that people thrive in agile, reflective school systems. As Director of Learning for Central & South Europe. Daniela supports schools across the region to strengthen curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and organisational culture.
With experience leading teaching and learning in schools across Croatia, Poland, Russia, Hong Kong and Romania, Daniela also leads school evaluation and accreditation through the Council of International Schools and Penta International (BSO scheme). She has contributed to teacher development by collaborating with the University of Hong Kong, where she was involved in the accreditation of two master’s programmes in mathematics and science for international education. In Romania, Daniela co-designed and is now the lead
consultant for DataMathLab, the national professional development programme for mathematics teachers, reaching over 150 teachers and 12,000 students annually and co-curated the first national Maths Education Festival.
Her academic credentials, PhD, NPQH, QTS, anchor her leadership in academic rigour and professional standards.
Daniela believes that meaningful educational transformation comes from evidence-based practice, collaborative communities and scalable systems that help schools raise outcomes and build capacity.
