The Board of Governors

Ian sits on a number of boards in the UK and the Middle East. He became Chairman in 2017. He is a former investment banker, headmaster of a leading UK independent school, and CEO of the oldest and most respected education consultancy in the world. Ian has led on international educational school projects globally and is a regular contributor to global education debates in the UK National and International press such as The Times, Financial Times, The Telegraph, and Huffington Post.

Kalamkas has an economics degree, extensive experience in management, and is currently developing franchises for top commercial retail brands. She has been involved in the running of Haileybury schools in Kazakhstan since they opened. She has a passion for the educational project that Haileybury Kazakhstan represents and is a member of the Education and Finance Committees.

Chief Executive Officer of Verny Capital Holding. From 2019 to 2023 he held the CFO position, managing the financial aspects of investment projects. He previously worked at Arthur Andersen/Ernst & Young, before that he was a financial director in a Canadian company. He graduated from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University with a degree in International Economic Relations and received an MBA from Hofstra University (USA).

Gail is an entrepreneur and has 15 years experience in education at board level, both in the UK and in Kazakhstan. She has a BSc in Civil Engineering and an MSc in Internet Programming. Gail educated her four children at Haileybury UK over 15 years and was Chair of the HPA (Haileybury Parents' Association) for four years. She is an honorary member of Haileybury’s UK Alumni organisation, the Haileybury Society.

Peter serves as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Air Astana, the flag carrier and national airline of Kazakhstan. Peter entered the airline industry immediately after graduating from Cambridge University in 1982. In the 2015 UK New Year’s Honours List Peter was awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to British aviation in Kazakhstan. He sits on the marketing committee of the Board.

Daniyar Tursunkulov is responsible for the financial activities of Verny Capital’s investment projects. Before joining Verny Capital he worked at Kazzinc, where he held numerous roles including Group Chief Transformation Officer and Group Chief Financial Officer. Prior to that, he headed the metals and mining group at Deloitte Caspian Region. Daniyar is a graduate of the Kazakh State Academy of Management and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

In addition to running a parish and serving as a Priest-in-Ordinary to the Queen, Paul spent over thirty years working in education, serving as Chaplain at Brighton College, Mill Hill and Emanuel before retirement in 2017. A qualified teacher, Paul holds Theology degrees from Durham, King’s College London and Lampeter. Paul Hunt is the Governor overseeing Safeguarding and Child Protection.

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in the UK Martin spent some years in Bermuda managing offshore insurance companies. Returning to the UK Martin was a Managing Director at Marsh insurance brokers where he specialised in risk management and insurance strategies for multinational companies. Martin has a BSc in Economics from the University of Hull. He is a current Haileybury parent.

Eugene, born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, has lived in England for over 25 years. Before becoming Master of Haileybury, he was Headmaster of Wellington School, Deputy Headmaster at Trinity School, and Undermaster at St Paul’s. He has taught Economics, coached rugby and athletics, and held roles like tutor and Head of House. A graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand, Eugene also holds an MA and MBA from UCL. He has served on HMC’s Education Committee and published views on educational leadership. Married to Angela with two children, Eugene enjoys reading, nature walks, and cooking.

Catrin is a qualified solicitor with over 20 years' experience as an employment lawyer. Catrin trained with City firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain and prior to joining Haileybury was a partner at Longmores in Hertfordshire. Catrin has a BA Hons in English and Related Literature from the University of York and completed her legal qualifications at the University of Law, York and London. Catrin is now responsible for overseeing legal and operational matters at Haileybury UK.

Sue was an experienced Headteacher and Local Leader of Education. She has a passion for the primary age phase with particular emphasis on providing outstanding ‘Early Years’ education which she views as the foundation for all learning. Sue has studied pedagogy across the world from Australia to Argentina and recognises the essential role educators have to play in developing children holistically.

Nurzhas is the Founder and Managing Partner of NKM Capital, an early stage venture capital firm rooted in thesis-driven investing. Nurzhas received an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School, an MBA from Wharton, where he was elected Managing Director of Wharton Venture Partners, and a pair of bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Computer Science and Engineering from MIT, where he attended on full scholarship. Currently, Nurzhas serves a mentor at Alchemist Accelerator, a judge for Startup Chile, and a Board member at Haileybury Almaty.