Our People
Meet our incredible team across the world
Meet our people:
UK Board Members & Staff
Kenneth Greatbatch
Board Chair, Pestalozzi World UK
As Chief Financial Officer of two public companies and of private equity owned international businesses and Chief Executive of an Australasian group Ken has spent the last twenty-five years of his career restructuring and expanding businesses around the World.
Ken was the āarchitect and visionaryā behind the acquisition, restructuring, expansion and subsequent $2bn flotation on the London Stock Exchange of AZ Electronic Materials SA.
Most recently he was Chief Executive of GEMS, a UAE headquartered private education group, with 100,000 pupils and forty schools in the Gulf, and an adviser to Private Equity owned companies in Germany and the U.K.
Ā He is a Chartered Accountant andĀ Trustee of The Greatbatch Family Trust.
James Haughton
CEO Pestalozzi World
James joined Pestalozzi World in 2020. A proven Third Sector executive and non-executive Director, he brings extensive governance, fundraising, delivery and personnel management experience across dynamic, value led, charity groups. A member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, he has a Bachelors Degree in International Development and a Masters in Philanthropy, both achieved with First Class Honours.
In his previous role James developed Dig Deep (Africa) from a ākitchen tableā charity to a fully staffed international organisation co-funded by the Kenyan Government in a historic agreement negotiated in Kenyaās Parliament. James was formerly Chair of Our Moon Education and has been a Trustee of several other charities. Our Moon works with HALI (High Achieving Low Income) children in Zambia to improve access to Tertiary Education and this exposure was a key motivation in joining Pestalozzi World.
Lady Diana Butler
Board Member & Founder
Lady Butler, mother of four and grandmother of seven, is a founding Trustee of Pestalozzi World and a mother figure to hundreds of Pestalozzi World children. She founded and for nearly two decades managed the Knightsbridge Nursery School in London.
Patric Klees
Advisor to the Board
Patric is a global investor, entrepreneur and Founder of Propulsion Equity AG. He seeks to inspire entrepreneurial leaders to exceed their expectations about what is possible-empowering them with creative solutions, ambitious stewardship, and access to resources to transform their businesses and create superior value.
Patric channels his skills and interests into Board Member positions at two social enterprises Pestalozzi World have invested in which aim to broaden our delivery of high quality education in Africa.
Patric joined the Board as an Advisor in 2020
Caroline Doggart
Board MemberĀ
Caroline Doggart – Board MemberEducated at Girton College, Cambridge and Imperial College London, Caroline began her career at the Economist Intelligence Unit. In 1970, she wrote āTax Havens and their Usesā. The publication went on to become the Economist Group’s bestselling publication, with 11 editions until 2005.”Caroline has worked as a senior development economist for the World Bank in Malawi, Tanzania, Ghana, Ecuador, Botswana, Haiti, the Maldive Islands and Paraguay. She has contributed to The Financial Times, The Independent and The Economist, is a Board Member of the Maria Montessori Training Organisation and a founder of the ICEA (International Consulting Economists’ Association).
Gerard Silverlock
Board Member
Gerard was Headmaster of Kingās College Junior School, Wimbledon, from September 2006 until his retirement in August 2021. Ā He read history atĀ the universities of London and Bristol and holds a PhD from Kingās College London War Studies Department. Ā Gerard taught A Level history at MillfieldĀ School and was Head of Department at Lord Wandsworth College in Hampshire before becoming a prep school headmaster.
Ā
He served on theĀ finance committees of theĀ Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) and theĀ Independent Schoolsā Council and was Vice-Chairman of the IAPS.
Francois von Hurter
Board Member
Francois has been a trustee of POCT for more than twenty years.
He is co-founder and publisher of Bitter Lemon Press, an independent publishing house.
Ā
His first career was in investment banking where he specialised in mergers and acquisitions and worked in NY, London and Riyadh.
Ā
A Swiss national, he resides with his family in London.
Simon Wakley
Board MemberĀ
After twenty years of developing international markets for gemstones, Simon was appointed Director of The Duke of Edinburghās Award World Fellowship in 1991, recruiting major donors to support the expansion of the Award programme for young people around the world.Ā
In 1999 he was involved in setting up a new charity, Friends of Africa, to help young people in East and West Africa learn employable skills and develop sustainable livelihoods.Ā
In 2007 he joined Pestalozzi World Childrenās Trust as Executive Officer, retiring in 2013 to become an Advisory Director then in 2017 a Trustee. Ā
Anthony V. Dub
Board Member
Ā
Anthony Dub is Chairman of Indigo Capital, a financial advisory firm based in New York.Ā
Before forming Indigo Capital in 1997, he was an officer of Credit Suisse First Boston, where he served for 26 years, having led the Asset Finance, Mortgage Finance, Capital Markets, and Investment Banking practices.Ā Indigo Capital has invested in over 20 startups including BlueMatrix, Capital IQ, Lucid, and Morning Consult.Ā Ā
He was a member of the Board of Directors of Range Resources (NYSE:Ā RRC) from 1995 to 2020 and served on the Audit and Compensation Committees.Ā
Tony received a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Princeton University in 1971
Dr Joanna Nair
Director of Alumni Relations & Educational Liaison, Pestalozzi World UK
Jo, has a PGCE as a secondary level English teacher, a Masters in Environmental and Development Education and a PhD from the School of Education and Lifelong Learning at the University of East Anglia where she specialised in international development and wellbeing.Ā Before joining PestalozziWorld in 1996, Jo had lived and worked in Turkey and Nepal, the latter as a VSO.Ā She has extensive experience working with children from many different backgrounds and of many different nationalities, and in the creation of educational resources for adults and children.
Jessica Faircloth
Marketing and Communications Manager Pestalozzi World UK
Jessica has extensive marketing experience within the hospitality sector and memberās clubs. She has several years digital marketing experience specifically with websites and branding. Ā Jessica joined Pestalozzi World in 2021 and has a Masterās degree in Journalism.
Board Members:
Ken Greatbatch
Simon Wakely
Caroline Doggart
Francois von HurterĀ
Lady Diana Butler
Advisory Board Members:
Sir Richard Butler
Patric Klees
Usha Kumar
Svante Pahlson-Moller
Dr Gerard Silverlock
USA Board Members
Elizabeth Beim
Chair, Pestalozzi World USA
Elizabeth served as the Development and Public Affairs Officer for Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation and was Senior Director on Cultural Affairs at the Americas Society. She earned her degree at Hollins College before her graduate studies at the London School of Economics.āÆ
Sir Richard Butler
Board Member & Founder
Sir Richard became a social entrepreneur following a distinguished career in international banking with The First Boston Corporation and Blyth, Eastman Dilon, processor US banks of Credit Suisse and the UBS.
After learning about the transforming power of the Pestalozzi approach for children from the worldās neediest regions, he led the creation of the Pestalozzi World Villages in Africa and Asia.
Over the past five years, he has worked with the founder of Edulution to bring tablet-based education to thousands of rural children and refugees in southern Africa.
Board Members:
Sir Richard ButlerĀ
Anthony Dub
Amy Hunter
David Langstaff
Todd Langstaff
Sandra Weiksner
Swiss Board Members
Board Members:
Sir Richard ButlerĀ
Peter Stocker
Francois von Hurter
Rory MacLeod
Zambian Board Members & Staff
Clarence Mwami
Director, Pestalozzi World Zambia
Clarence joined PestalozziWorld Zambia in 2015. He is a qualified accountant who previously worked at the SOS Childrenās Village in Lusaka.
Board Members:
Sir Richard Butler
Jemini Patel
Sharon Panicco
Mwitti Mvula
Grace Mwenya
Priscilla Mpundu
Indian Board Members & Staff
Yashpal Kapoor
Board Chair, Pestalozzi World IndiaĀ
President and Founder of Io Global Services, Yashpal is an alumnus of a Pestalozzi program in the United Kingdom and graduated from the Imperial College in London.
Cheme Palden
Director, Pestalozzi World India
Chemeās family fled Tibet when the Communist Chinese took over, gaining refugee status in India. Her tertiary studies in London and Northern India included Osteopathy, English and Psychology before she earned her Bachelorās in Education.
Board Members:
Thsespal Kundan
Sabir F. Vhora
Yeshi Khampa
Usha Tiru
Tenzin Tsepak
Ā
Advisors:
Shalabh Sharma
Usha Kumar
Nepali Board Members & Staff
Ajay Shrestha
Board chair, Pestalozzi World Nepal
Ajay Shrestha was a student at our Indian village before joining Pestalozzi World in Nepal as Board Chair. He is also on the international alumni committee.Ā
Phuntsok Tashi
Project Director, Pestalozzi World Nepal
Phuntsok fled to India from Tibet in 1960. He completed his primary and secondary education in the UK, where he also received a degree in Economics from the University of Nottingham. For a decade, he was Project Director at the Pestalozzi Indian Village.
Board Members:
Shree Shankar Pradhananga
Bigyan Dahal
Advisor:
Simon Wakely
Pestalozzi Education Centre School Staff
Board Members
PEC School Rakesh Pandey
ENKO Education
Ā
Edulution
Board Members
Michael Wray
Patric Klees
Ā
International Alumni Committee Members
Afonso M. Fernando
Angolan refugee Pestalozzi World Voluntary International Alumni Committee Representative
Selected from Mayukwayukwa Refugee camp, Afonso was a PestalozziWorld student at the Pestalozzi Zambian Village and for a year was Head Boy of the Pestalozzi Education Centre.Ā Since 2019, Afonso has been working as a Mathematics Coach for Edulution, serving his community back in the Mayukwayukwa Refugee Camp.Ā
In 2020 Afonso founded, and is now one of the alumni leaders of, Zam-Ango Records – a music crew for Zambian and Angolan school dropouts.Ā He also sponsors the school fees of five children at Mayukwayukwa.Ā Pestalozzi World awarded Afonso a 2021 Silver Impact Award.
Afonso is grateful to be able to work with other alumni as part of one big family, able to share values, failures, and successes.
Ajay Shrestha
Nepalese Pestalozzi World Voluntary International Alumni Committee Representative
Ajay was a Pestalozzi World student at the Indian Village.Ā While studying for a Bachelorās degree in Social Work, he worked as a trainee in four different NGOs, and then went on to get a Masterās degree in Anthropology. Ā After voluntarily participating in fundraising events for the Nepal Pestalozzi Foundation and assisting with student selection for the Indian village, Ajay worked as the Chief Administrative Officer for the Pestalozzi Nepalese Village from 2016 to 2019.Ā Ajay is now studying Chinese while once again volunteering, now as Chair of the Nepalese Pestalozzi Foundation.Ā Pestalozzi World awarded him a 2021 Gold Impact Award
Ā
Ajay supports Pestalozzi World because the education it offers helps solve social problems and soĀ create a better world.
Chikuku Musonda
Zambian Pestalozzi World Voluntary International Alumni Committee Staff Representative
Ā
Chikuku was a Pestalozzi World student at Kasisi Basic School and then in her home village of Ndola.Ā She gained a Teaching Diploma under sponsorship from the Sally Dean Bursary Fund.Ā Chikuku has been working as Alumni Coordinator since 2019, having already worked in various capacities for the Pestalozzi Zambian Village, including as an Assistant Housemother and in the Print and Tuck Shop Alumni Enterprises.Ā She also makes donations to Pestalozzi World and has volunteered in various capacities. Ā Pestalozzi World awarded her the 2017 African Alumna of the Year Certificate and a 2021 Silver Impact Award.
Ā
Keen to give back to Pestalozzi World, Chikuku recognizes that as an alumna she can have significant impact on the children.
Grace Mwenya
Zambian Pestalozzi World Voluntary International Alumni Committee Representative
Grace was a Pestalozzi World student at Kasisi Basic School and Kasisi Girls Secondary School. In 2017, she completed an Economics BA from the University of Lusaka under sponsorship from the Sally Dean Bursary Fund.Ā In 2019, she became a Tax Associate for PwC Zambia, and was promoted to Senior Tax Associate in 2022. Previously, she had worked for the Pestalozzi Zambian Village, including as Metal Workshop Manager and Alumni Coordinator.Ā
Graceās voluntary work for Pestalozzi has included student monitoring, careers advice and reunion organisation; she also donates regularly.Ā Pestalozzi World awarded her the 2012 African Alumna of the Year Certificate and a 2021 Gold Impact Award. Ā Ā In 2021, she became a trustee of the Pestalozzi Zambia Childrenās Trust.
Pestalozzi World taught Grace that dreams can come true; she wants to inspire current students to realise that they too can reach where she is now, and beyond.
Joseph Kumwenda
Zambian Pestalozzi World Voluntary International Alumni Committee Representative
Joseph was a Pestalozzi World student at the Zambian Village and is now studying a Bachelorās in Information and Communication Technology with Education by Distance Learning.Ā Since 2016, he has been with Edulution Zambia, rising rapidly to become a Senior Gold Star Coach.Ā He has helped set up mobile learning centres in Namibia and South Africa, provides centre operations support and coach training. He also works as coach in his rural community of origin – Lundazi.
Ā
Joseph runs the Pestalozzi Zambian alumni Facebook page, helps run the alumni group, and mentors current students.Ā He also supports an alumnus with expenses associated in pursuing a professional football career.Ā Pestalozzi World awarded him the 2018 African Alumnus of the Year Certificate and a 2021 Silver Impact Award.
Ā
Joseph sees his support of Pestalozzi World as the only way he can pay back for the education and care it gave him.
Kannika Kaewrakmuk
Thai Pestalozzi World Voluntary International Alumni Committee Representative
KannikaĀ completed her secondary school education under Thai Pestalozzi Foundation sponsorship.Ā She then gained a scholarship to study the International Baccalaureate Diploma at Mahindra United World College, India.Ā In 2014, she graduated with an Environmental Studies BA from St. Olaf College, US.Ā After returning to Thailand, she worked as an Educational Facilitator on an organic farm in Chiang Mai before setting up her own restaurant business.
Kannika donates regularly to the Thai Pestalozzi Foundation and volunteers for it in many ways, including the organisation of camps for the students and assisting in fundraising.
Kannika wants to help Pestalozzi help others after receiving many incredible opportunities from the organisation.
Lubinda Mbundi
Zambian Pestalozzi World Voluntary International Alumni Committee Representative
Lubinda is an alumnus of the Pestalozzi International Village in Hastings England, which he joined from Zambia for the International Baccalaureate Diploma. He went on to pursue his studies and career in Regenerative Medicine and now holds a PhD in Regenerative Medicine from the University of Brighton. He is currently the National Projects Manager in Stem Cell Immunotherapies and bone marrow transplant services for the NHS Blood and Transplant.
Lubinda attended several Pestalozzi World Board Meetings and is now advising Pestalozzi World on alumni to student mentorship programmes
For Lubinda, it is important to help carry on the work of Pestalozzi World in order to be part of efforts directed at making positive contribution to individuals and the world through education
Mildred Kasonde
Zambian Pestalozzi World Voluntary International Alumni Committee Representative
Mildred was a Pestalozzi World student at Kasisi Basic School and Kasisi Girls Secondary School. Ā After gaining a Diploma in Agriculture Business Management, she took an Economics degree from Mulungushi University, Kabwe.Ā She has been in her current job since 2012, starting as an Agricultural Extension Worker and since 2017 working in the Agronomy Planning & Analysis Section.
Between 2007-2009, Mildred volunteered as Assistant house mother at the Zambia African Village.Ā Pestalozzi World awarded her the 2010 African Alumna of the Year Certificate and a 2021 Silver Impact Award.
Mildred supports Pestalozzi World so that others can get the chance Pestalozzi World gave her to have a better life.
Peeraya Utsajit
Thai Pestalozzi World Voluntary International Alumni Committee Representative
The Thai Pestalozzi Foundation funded Peerayaās secondary school education, and a BA in English from Mahidol University.Ā Her Masterās degree is in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Thammasat University. Ā Since 2011, she has been teaching in the Faculty of Liberal Arts, Mahidol University, taking educational leave for a PhD (awarded 2021) in Language Education from Leeds University.
Ā
Peeraya is a Thai Pestalozzi Foundation Board member and supports the Foundation in multiple ways, making regular donations and helping with fundraising, student selection and monitoring, educational camps and office work.Ā Pestalozzi World awarded her the 2017 Asian Alumna of the Year Certificate and a 2021 Gold Impact Award.
Peeraya wants to help PestalozziWorld because she remembers how grateful she was when given the opportunity it afforded her and would like to give it to other children.
Before joining Pestalozzi World in 1996, Jo had lived and worked in Turkey and Nepal, the latter as a VSO.Ā She has extensive experience working with children from many different backgrounds and of many different nationalities, and in the creation of educational resources for adults and children.
Phurbu Dolma
Tibetan Pestalozzi World Voluntary International Alumni Committee Representative
Phurbu was a Pestalozzi World student at the Indian VillageĀ who went on for herĀ International Baccalaureate Diploma in KolkataĀ Ā Ā She then completed a degree in Anthropology and Sociology from Ashoka University, India and in 2022 gained a Masterās degree in International Affairs from Geneva, Switzerland.Ā She now worksĀ in a project management roleĀ for a Human Rights organisation.
Phurbu has volunteered with Pestalozzi World in various capacities, assisting with student selection, an alumni-students buddying scheme and working on the Indian Alumni Committee.Ā Pestalozzi World awarded her a 2021 Silver Impact Award.
Phurbuās closest friends come from her Pestalozzi days; together they have witnessed how the scholarship advanced them. She wants to help provide the same chance for others.Ā
Prisca Mulongo
Zambian Pestalozzi World Voluntary International Alumni Committee Representative
Prisca was a Pestalozzi World student at Kasisi Basic School and at Naboye High School. She became a registered nurse with sponsorship from the Sally Dean Bursary Fund and a registered Midwife at the University Teaching Hospital under Ministry of Health sponsorship. She currently works for the Ministry of Health as a Midwife and as a Clinical Instructor for general nursing and midwifery students and is an Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Provider.
Prisca has volunteered in various capacities for PestalozziWorld including Housemother assistance, student selection and reunion organisation.Ā She has financially supported both Pestalozzi students and others.Ā Pestalozzi World awarded her a 2021 Gold Impact Award.
She considers it important to carry on the work of Pestalozzi World because there is always someone out there who needs the same support that she received from Pestalozzi World.
Sabita Bhandari
Nepalese Pestalozzi World Voluntary International Alumni Committee Staff Representative
Sabita was a Pestalozzi World student at the Indian Village.Ā In 2016 she graduated in Commerce majoring in Finance from Banasthali University and in 2021 with a Masterās degree in Business Studies majoring in Marketing.
She has worked at the Nepalese Village since its inception in 2016 as Senior Coworker responsible for Accounts, Education, Office Management and as Sponsorship Secretary.
Sabita has made regular donations to Pestalozzi World since 2017 and was awarded a 2021 Silver Impact Award.
It is important to Sabita to carry on the work of Pestalozzi World because only education (insufficiently valued or unaffordable by many) can open peopleās perspectives and opportunities, creating a ripple effect benefiting everyone.
Shelja Thakur
Indian Pestalozzi World Voluntary International Alumni Committee Staff Representative
Shelja was a Pestalozzi World student at the Indian Village and has an International Baccalaureate Diploma from the United World College, Norway.Ā In 2018, she graduated in Environmental Studies from Luther College in Iowa, US and from 2018 to 2021 worked as a Germination Technician for Seed Savers Exchange, also in Iowa.Ā She returned to India and took up her current post as Alumni Coordinator and Senior Student Liaison Officer at the Indian Village.
Shelja has donated to Pestalozzi World since 2018 and was awarded a 2021 Silver Impact Award. While in the US, she raised funds to support Indian migrant workers adversely affected by the Covid lockdown.
Shelja considers it important to support the work of Pestalozzi World so that more children can get better opportunities in life than they otherwise would have.
Tenzin Tsepak
Tibetan Pestalozzi World Voluntary International Alumni Committee Representative
Tsepak was a Pestalozzi World student at the Indian Village.Ā She has two Bachelor level degrees, one in English, the other in Education, and a Masterās degree in English.Ā She worked as an English teacher at the Norbulingka Institute, Dharamsala for almost two years.Ā Since 2021, Tsepak has been an English Lecturer for the Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education, Bangalore.
Tsepak is a Pestalozzi Indian Village board member.Ā She has also helped with student selection, careers guidance and the Indian Village alumni Facebook page.Ā Pestalozzi World awarded her a 2021 Silver Impact Award.
Tsepak is motivated to help Pestalozzi World because she wants it to continueĀ bringing miracles to many children, and making this world a better place to live in.
Usha Tiru
Indian Pestalozzi World Voluntary International Alumni Committee Representative
Usha was a Pestalozzi World student at the Indian Village. Ā Ā In 2021, she graduated with a degree in Fashion Technology in Apparel Production from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, sponsored by the Tiara Foundation.Ā Ā She now works as Sales Trainee for World Fashion Exchange, also in New Delhi.
Usha is an Indian Village Board Member.Ā She makes donations to Pestalozzi World, helps with student selection, provides careers talks to senior students and helps recent Pestalozzi graduates with guidance and the admission process for getting college places.Ā Pestalozzi World awarded her a 2021 Gold Impact Award.
Usha says that she just wants to be there for Pestalozzi, in the same way Pestalozzi was and is there for her.
