Faculty and Board of Trustees

Brett was born in Mosgiel, New Zealand. After graduating from Dunedin College of Education and Otago University, he moved to Auckland, where he taught in private education. In 2000, Brett moved to Bangkok, Thailand, to assume his first international post. 

From Thailand, Brett moved with his wife Debbie to Zürich, Switzerland, where he held Deputy Principal and Principal's roles at a leading international school. Following eight years in Zürich, Brett and Debbie, together with their children Liam and Hannah, moved back to Bangkok, where Brett worked as Elementary Principal and then Head of School. 

From early in his career, Brett was fortunate to work with outstanding leaders who invested in his development. Brett was selected as a Klingenstein Fellow, completing his Master of Arts in Private School Leadership at Columbia University. In more recent years, he completed an MBA in International Education from Keele University.

As a leader, Brett understands the influence school culture has on students and their learning. As such, he works hard to support teachers in their work, removing barriers to ensure their success in the classroom. He strives to support a positive school culture where all community members feel valued and experience a strong sense of belonging. 

Currently, Brett is leading the implementation of the school’s strategic plan, which focuses on innovation, program expansion, enhanced facilities and campus development, strengthened systems for professional development, and the introduction of sustainability initiatives to ensure AISB continues to thrive in the years ahead.

Brett’s wife, Debbie, is an EAL teacher in the Elementary School. Their son, Liam, graduated from AISB and is now studying in Canada, while their daughter, Hannah, is currently in the High School at AISB.

In his free time, Brett enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, researching his Land Rover restoration project, and taking time to keep abreast of developments in education. 

Dr. Cathy Bo Wu holds a Ph.D. in translation studies. She was a lecturer and associate professor at the School of Foreign Languages at East China Normal University in Shanghai for over 20 years. She has extensive experience as a visiting scholar and professor internationally. Cathy has translated 12 books and worked as a translator for the Chinese Independent Film Archive of Newcastle University in the UK.

Currently, she is working on a China national Social Science fund project of translating a classic on ancient Chinese literature into English in cooperation with the Taylor and Francis Group in the UK. She enjoys classical music, modern art, reading, old Chinese tea, and spending time with her family. Her husband is an independent venture investor, traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and old Chinese tea collector. They have a daughter who is currently in the 6th grade at AISB.

Mike is an experienced senior finance professional, having spent more than 34 years at KPMG in Canada, Switzerland, and Hungary in audit, financial advisory services, and other advisory services. More recently he completed almost 2 years as the CFO at Budapest Airport. He has other non-profit roles, including Director of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Supervisory Board Chairman at United Way Hungary, Supervisory Board member of the Hungarian Ice Hockey Federation, and immediate past Secretary Treasurer of AmCham. Prior to joining the AISB Board, he was a member of the AISB Ad Hoc Building committee.

Mike first came to Hungary from Vancouver, Canada in 1990 and has spent more than 30 years here. He has a daughter and 2 sons (both in AISB) and enjoys sports, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Rick Darling is the retired Chief Executive Officer of a public company based in Hong Kong specializing in manufacturing and distributing globally recognized apparel and footwear brands. He currently leads an advisory firm that provides strategic guidance to clients on mergers and acquisitions. Throughout his career, Rick has served on several boards, including Parsons School of Design in New York and Delivering Good, a non-profit organization within the apparel industry that distributes new clothing to families affected by disasters and people in need. 
Since 2023, he has contributed his expertise to the Strategic Planning Committee at AISB. Rick lives in Nagykovácsi with his wife, Kriszti, and their son, Krisz, a Grade 5 student at AISB. He also has two adult sons, one living in Bali and the other in Singapore. Rick and Kriszti enjoy exploring Europe together and supporting Krisz’s busy basketball, soccer, and tennis schedule.

Chris Dobson is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aretera, a public affairs consultancy focused on Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Over the past twenty-five years, Chris has built and managed several leading public affairs and public relations agencies and has held senior regional leadership positions within global consultancies. In his current role, he oversees operations in sixteen countries, advising major international companies across various industries.
Chris has lived in Budapest since 1999 and holds dual UK and Hungarian citizenship. He is married and has two sons, aged sixteen and twelve, who attend the American International School of Budapest.
In his free time, Chris enjoys running, playing, and watching football with his sons, and remains a passionate lifelong supporter of Tottenham Hotspur. A devoted music enthusiast, he also maintains an extensive vinyl collection of British indie guitar music, much to his children’s amusement.

Dani Illing is a strategic communications and external affairs leader with a non-profit governance, government relations, and broadcast journalism background. She has served on the Boards of Who We Play For (USA) and the UK charity Why Me?, advocating for restorative justice and community health initiatives. Her career spans senior roles in policy advocacy, corporate communications, and UK media, including producing documentaries and investigative programs for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). She also serves as a Magistrate in the United Kingdom.

Dani has advised organizations across the UK, Europe, and the United States on public affairs, stakeholder engagement, and multinational communications strategy, securing government funding and leading high-impact campaigns. She holds a Master’s in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from Georgetown University. She is a Certified Cloud Practitioner (AWS), a Certified Mentor for Small Businesses (SCORE), and has completed directorship training with the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Married with two sons, Dani is an avid traveler, skier, and pickleball player who also enjoys salsa dancing. She speaks conversational Spanish and German.

Éva Kozák is a seasoned finance executive with over twenty years of international leadership experience across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. She has held senior positions with global companies, including Maersk, Hilti, and PORR, where she led transformative initiatives that delivered measurable efficiencies and built high-performing, purpose-driven teams.
Éva holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Miskolc and is pursuing psychology studies at the University of Szeged. Éva channels her passion for meaningful social impact into her professional work and personal projects; from leading sustainable business strategies to authoring a successful hiking guide during a sabbatical in Oman that celebrates exploration and human connection.
For the past sixteen years, Éva and her family have been active members of international school communities in Qatar, Denmark, Germany, Oman, and Hungary. Her daughter is currently an IB student at the American International School of Budapest. As a committed community member, Éva has served as a classroom representative and as part of the Parent Student Association, strengthening connections between families and the school. Her involvement reflects AISB’s inclusive spirit and sense of shared purpose.She is deeply committed to supporting a strong, connected, and future-ready school community where every learner can thrive.

Nick Kós is the Chief Executive Officer for PwC CEE since July 1 2018,  previously Country Managing Partner for Hungary since July 1, 2012, Assurance Leader for the Western Region of CEE, member of our firms Supervisory Board and Chair of our Audit Committee.

Nick  has worked at PwC for 28 years,  of which 25 have been in CEE, primarily in Hungary but also in Poland and Russia where he led the Assurance  Practice  for 2 years.

The audit professional with Irish-Hungarian origins started his career in 1990 at PwC in Ireland where he was born and educated,  and moved to Hungary in 1994 where he became the lead Partner in the telecommunication, information technology and media industry group within a few years. Later on he held a leading position in the Polish firm of PwC, followed by the Assurance service line leader position at PwC Moscow.  He returned to Hungary in July 2011.

Nick has worked  and led significant engagements on, for example,  the retail and consumer, oil & gas and telecom sectors.

Married with 2 boys, aged 16 and 13, and a little girl aged 9.

Enjoys playing golf, trying to keep in shape, and competing internationally at swimming with the boys as they spend a lot of time as a family at various pools.

Lotti Letanoczky began her career as a corporate lawyer in Budapest before continuing her education in international business management. She worked in the United States for several years as an international marketing and business manager for multinational companies. Upon returning to Hungary, she took on the role of Head of the International Department at Müpa Budapest, where she continues to lead international partnerships and cultural collaborations.
Lotti stayed closely connected to the American International School of Budapest community for over a decade. She served on the AISB Board of Trustees between 2014 and 2018 and has remained an active member of the Committee of Trustees since.
A native Hungarian, Lotti is fluent in English and German and speaks basic French. Her interests include current affairs, travel, and women’s health.

István has more than 15 years of management consulting experience across various industries from all over Europe. His focus is primarily on digitization, financial services, and fintech solutions of the future. He holds an MBA degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he completed the Non-Profit Board Fellowship program and has served on the Board of the Merchant Fund.

István enjoys traveling and teaching, he is regularly invited to give lectures at business schools.

Elizabeth is a member of the faculty at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. She has worked at the Feinstein International Center at Tufts since 2006, a research policy center dedicated to improving the lives of communities affected by conflict or crisis. Elizabeth’s work focuses on the effects of conflict, crisis, and protracted vulnerability on economic outcomes and intra-household dynamics. She has conducted and led research in multiple countries in southern and eastern Africa, as well as Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Nepal, and the Syrian crisis.

Elizabeth and her family moved to Budapest in August 2019. They live in Nagykovacsi and have a daughter and a son in middle school.

Personal interests include running, hiking, reading, cooking, gardening and travel.

“Andres “Andre” Valdes is an American national who come to Budapest in 2023 as a Foreign Service Officer (Diplomat) working for the U.S. Embassy. A diplomat for almost 20 years, Andre has acquired vast experience in operations, human resources, and logistics management in multiple countries. Additionally, he has also worked on humanitarian diplomacy and relief projects with refugees and Internally Displaced People in Sudan, South Sudan, and east Africa.  Andre’s career focus has been on leading change, staff development, and communication.

Andre is joined by his spouse and three children who also attend AISB. He is a graduate of St. Thomas University and Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). 

Andrew was born in Seaforth, Ontario, Canada and is currently the AISB Middle School Principal. As the son of a lifelong teacher, he was drawn to a career in education from an early age.

Having completed his undergraduate degrees in Science and Education in 1994, Andrew obtained his first teaching position in a large public High School close to his hometown in Canada before moving on to international postings in Japan, Egypt, Guatemala, the United Arab Emirates and now Budapest.  

Andrew completed his M.A.Ed. in Administration from Michigan State University in 2002 and obtained his first posting as Middle School Principal in 2004. He has been happily supporting the Middle-level learner in this leadership role ever since.

Andrew firmly believes that students thrive in a caring, supportive and well-rounded educational environment where risk-taking and innovation are encouraged and celebrated.

In his free time, Andrew enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife, two daughters and their family pet, a black labrador.

Tami is from the United States and is the Director of Teaching and Learning for grades 6-12. Dr. Canale is an energetic, student-focused educator with 30 years of experience at various levels both in the United States and internationally.

Tami completed her undergraduate studies in Spanish and her teaching certification at the College of Charleston. She later completed her Specialist and Doctorate degrees in Curriculum and Instruction at Argosy University in Florida. She began teaching English Language Arts in a private elementary school in Mexico and also taught English as an Additional Language to adults there. Tami went on to teach Spanish at a large public High School in Georgia before coming to Budapest to teach Middle and High School Spanish.

Tami has interest and training in leadership, team development, group dynamics, and Experiential/Outdoor Education. She is also skilled in planning and programming professional development opportunities, having organized dozens of local and international conferences for educators. She currently serves as the President of the European League for Middle Level Education.

Dr. Canale believes in and is an example of lifelong learning. She believes that teaching is an art and a science and that students benefit from teachers who are caring, experienced, and passionate about their craft.

In her free time, Tami enjoys participating in service activities, travel, history, camping, hiking, and scuba diving. 

George grew up in a Hungarian community in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. After spending the first 24 years of his life in the USA, George packed his bags and headed to Hungary where he found work at AISB. George was a fifth grade teacher for twelve years. He also coached a number of sports such as basketball, soccer, and softball. 

In 2005, George left Budapest to become an Elementary Principal in Dubai. George became the Founding Head of a school in Singapore. From there, he enjoyed Elementary Principal roles in Moscow, Russia and Basel, Switzerland. 

George is very happy and excited to come full circle and return to AISB where his educational career began. George brings with him sixteen years of leadership experience and twelve years as a homeroom teacher. He is accompanied by his wife Mary who is also an international educator. They have two children, Zalán and Zsofi who will be joining AISB in the middle school.

George is passionate about making sure all students love learning and have the capacity to learn. He values strong, positive relationships with all school community members and looks forward to working collaboratively to making AISB an even more special place. 

In his free time George enjoys playing golf, skiing and hiking with his family, and reading books on leadership.

Nikki is originally from Cheshire in North-West England and has been teaching overseas since 2000.  She has taught elementary and middle school in British, American, and IB schools in The Bahamas, Kuwait, Thailand, Mexico, and Peru, and was most recently the Director of Teaching and Learning at Colegio Maya in Guatemala, before moving to AISB with her family.  Nikki is married to Graham Maclure, AISB’s High School Principal and they have two sons in High School.

Nikki is passionate about the role education can play in ensuring a sustainable and peaceful future for generations to come.  By guiding students to pursue excellence, challenge their own values and perceptions, develop their learning identities and explore important, globally relevant concepts and issues, learners will be well-equipped for whatever their futures hold.

Brian is originally from Ontario, Canada, and prior to joining AISB has worked as a teacher, librarian, and technology leader in public and private schools in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada, Japan, Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.

Brian is joined at AISB by his wife and son, and outside of school enjoys exploring the outdoors hiking and skiing, photography, reading, and travelling.

Magdalen Gray is British and grew up in London with Czech parentage as a Third Culture Kid. 

Magda studied Theology and Philosophy as an undergraduate in Hull. This was spurred by an avid interest in inter-faith dialogue as a way towards mediating and building cultural understanding and sensitivity. She later received a Masters of Education in International Counseling from Lehigh University in the US.

Magda's work background is in recruitment management, public relations, marketing, and human resources management. She has worked in London, Prague and as Human Relations/Global Admissions Manager for Nord Anglia at BISB, Hungary. She worked on transition/third culture intervention programs and as best-practice coach at sister schools in Shanghai, Warsaw, Bratislava and Prague.

Magda joined AISB as High School Counselor in September 2013, a role which she loved. In 2015, she took the role of Advancement Director at AISB to help support the school's growth, retention, and sustainability. She has embraced the privilege of leading the Advancement activities of such a fantastic school. Magda has been living in Hungary since 2000, has three daughters, two are very at home in the High School at AISB and one is studying at the University of Edinburgh. 

Some of her other passions are travel, enjoying the beautiful outdoors, running, walking her dog, yoga/ pilates, lifelong learning, and practicing Mindfulness.

Born in Auckland, New Zealand to teaching parents, Graham grew up in the United Kingdom and has spent most of his life living in schools. He is currently serving as the High School Principal.  After completing his undergraduate and Master's degrees at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, he went on to take his Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching at Christ Church College in Kent, specializing in English and Drama.  Having completed a Certificate in International School Leadership with the Principal’s Training Centre, he is now working towards a Masters in Educational Leadership.

Graham is accompanied by his wife Nikki, a former Director of Teaching and Learning and current Grade 5 teacher, and their two boys Thomas and Andrew. They are delighted to be part of such an international community and living in such beautiful surroundings. 

Graham began his international teaching career in 1998 El Salvador and has worked internationally in six schools running British, American, and International curricula, in Asia and Latin America. After starting out as an English Literature and Drama teacher, ESL trainer, and then a Head of Languages, he became IB coordinator, working with International Baccalaureate programs as a workshop leader, examiner, site visitor, consultant, guide writer, and co-author of four IB textbooks. Most recently, he served as Secondary School Principal in Guatemala and is now delighted to be working as the High School Principal at AISB. 

In his free time, Graham enjoys biking, running and hiking, sampling the local food and culture, and playing sports with his boys. 

Eric is a native of Adamsville, Tennessee, USA, and holds degrees in Music Education and in School Leadership. He held positions in Tennessee, Texas, and Nebraska before moving into international education in 2014. Prior to his roles in school leadership, he was a band director and music teacher at the secondary school level for 19 years. He is a firm believer in a middle school experience where students are challenged academically, supported emotionally, and given regular opportunities to stretch and grow.

Eric comes to AISB after 9 years in South Korea, of which the last six were spent as middle school Associate Principal. He is joined in Hungary by his wife and two sons. When not at school he enjoys travel, music, cooking, and the outdoors.