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The Alice Smith Schools Association (“the Association”) was incorporated in 1950 as a company limited by guarantee. The principal activity of the Association is to provide a British education in an international context - focusing on high academic standards, essential life skills and a sense of responsibility to the community, through the Alice Smith School (“the School”).
The School has an established reputation for excellence, and as a not-for-profit organisation, all the School’s resources are focused on the development and well-being of its students.
All parents of students at the School are members of the Association. The Association holds an Annual General Meeting (“the AGM”) and files audited financial statements in accordance with the Malaysian Financial Reporting Standards, the International Financial Reporting Standards and the legal requirements of the Companies Act 2016 in Malaysia.
Under its Constitution, the business of the Association is managed by the Council of Governors (“the Council”). The Council is made up of 15 to 18 governors, comprising:
Click links below for details of the skills and backgrounds of each Governor.
- Chair of the Council of Governors
Member of the Governance Sub-committee
Member of the Education Futures Sub-committee
Member of the Head of School Evaluation Sub-committee
Founding member of the Foundation Board
- 10+ years experience as corporate finance lawyer in Australia and South Africa
and 13+ years in governance at international schools
- Bachelor of Commerce (Hons Finance), University of New South Wales, Australia
Bachelor of Law, University of New South Wales, Australia
Admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales Roll of Solicitors
- Governor since 2012 and Chair since 2017
Nominated as a Governor by the Malaysian Australian New Zealand Association in 2022
- Vice-Chair of the Council of Governors
Chair of the Master Plan Sub-committee
Interim Chair of the Finance Sub-committee
Member of the Education Futures Sub-committee
Member of the Head of School Evaluation Subcommittee
Member of the Foundation Board
- Deputy Group Managing Director, Ahmad Zaki Resources Berhad
Member of the Board of Trustees, Sultan Iskandar Foundation
22+ years experience in corporate and professional services roles
11+ years in PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Washington DC and Kuala Lumpur
- Bachelor of Engineering, Imperial College London
Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants of United
Kingdom Oundle School, UK
United World College of SEA, Singapore
- Governor since 2018 and Vice-Chair since 2021
- Safeguarding Governor
Member of Education Futures Sub-committee
- BSc Hons Physiotherapy, University of Ulster
MSc Physiotherapy, Trinity College Dublin
Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists specialising in
Sports Medicine
Member of the Health Professionals Council, UK
- Nominated as a governor by the St. Patrick’s Society of Selangor in 2015
- Heath & Safety Governor
Safeguarding Governor
Member of the Governance Sub-committee
Member of the Master Plan Sub-committee
- Vice President with Shell, responsible for wells activities across East Asia
and Australasia
Over 26 years in the Energy industry, holding various roles
across Asia, Europe and North America
- UK Chartered Engineer
Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
MSc Petroleum Engineering, Imperial College, London
MEng Aeronautical Engineering, City University, London
- Governor since 2022
Nominated as a Governor by the Royal Society of St.George in 2024
- Member of the Council of Governors
- Certified Executive Coach with experience in professional training and
development and 20 years in human resources and organisational development,
previously at Maybank and PETRONAS.
- Business Degree, University Malaya
MBA, Charles Sturt University, Australia
- Nominated as a governor by St. Mary’s Cathedral in 2015
- Member of the Finance Sub-committee
- Currently serving as director with financial, project management and investment
portfolios within the Sanctuary Lakes Global Group. Previously attached to
Arthur Andersen & Co, specialising in small to medium sized owner-managed
enterprises. Past President and current Chairman of the Selangor Philharmonic
Orchestra
- A graduate of Upper Canada College in Toronto, Canada
Bachelor of Commerce (Hons - First Class) from Queen’s University
- Current member of CPA Canada and the Institute of the Chartered Accountants of Ontario, with the
designations of Chartered Accountant and Chartered Professional Accountant
- Nominated as a Governor by St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Selangor in 2022
- Member of the Council of Governors
- Director of Research & Enterprise and Associate Professor of Psychology at
Heriot-Watt University Malaysia; and also a Lecturer at the University of
Westminster
Previously, Deputy Director & Reader, Centre for Psychological Medicine,
Perdana University
Lectured in the Dept. of Psychology at the University of West London
- PhD, University of Westminster
Postgraduate Certificate of Special Study in Supporting Learning, University of Westminster
MRes. Research Methods in Psychology, University of Strathclyde
B.A. (Hons.) Psychology (2.1), University of Strathclyde
- Governor since 2024
- Chair of the Education Futures Sub-committee
Member of the Head of School Evaluation Committee
- Senior partner at McKinsey & Company
Previously, senior partner at McKinsey and Company, and the managing partner for Malaysia. Led McKinsey's global education practice, conducting research into education systems worldwide and working with public sector institutions, foundations and private organisations to achieve significant and sustained improvements in education system outcomes and student learning
- MSc, University of Reading
MBA, Harvard Business School
- Governor since 2015
- Chair of the Governance Sub-committee
Member of the Education Futures Sub-committee
Member of the Foundation Board
- Partner at Sreesanthan & Co. with over 18 years of experience in corporate
and commercial law
Called to the Malaysian Bar in 2003
Called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2001
- LLB (Hons), University of Bristol
MA International Business & Management, University of Westminster
Barrister-at-law of Lincoln’s Inn
- Governor since 2022
- Chair of the Digital Technology Sub-committee
Member of the Finance Sub-committee
- Associate Partner McKinsey & Company focusing on Digital & Analytics
for Financial Services Institutions
Previously IT project manager at Daimler
- Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics, University of Oxford, UK
Master in Mathematics, University of Cambridge, UK
- Governor since 2023
- Member of the Masterplan Sub-committee
- General Manager, PropSocial Malaysia
Head of Marketing, Ministry of Youth & Sports
20+ years of experience in marketing and advertising.
- Marketing, Monash University, Melbourne
- Governor since 2018
- Member of the Master Plan Sub-committee.jpg)
- CEO of Suntrack Development Sdn Bhd, a multiple award-winning developer
with over 19 years of experience and track record in property development.
Chairman of the Planning, Policies and Standards Committee under the Selangor
branch of the Real Estate Housing Developers Association (REHDA).
Chairman of the Retirement Village and Aged Care Subcommittee under REHDA
- Bachelor of Engineering (Civil), University of Warwick, United Kingdom
MBA, University of Strathclyde, Scotland
- Governor since 2021
- Member of the Finance Sub-committee
Member of the Digital Technology Sub-committee
- Chief product and digital officer of Time dotCom
Previously, partner with McKinsey and Company
- Bachelor of Science in International Trade, University of Economics, Prague
Czech Republic
- Governor since 2023
- Member of the Council of Governors
- Political Counsellor (Global Issues) at British High Commission Kuala Lumpur
Over 20 years in HM Diplomatic Service with roles in Dubai, Dhaka, New Delhi
and Moscow
Areas of specialty include UK constitutional issues, foreign policy and environmental
diplomacy
- Masters Degree in International Relations, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
Bachelor Degree in Politics and Social Policy, Brunel University, Middlesex, UK
Bilingual (English & Bengali) and Intermediate French
- Governor since 2024
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- Member of the Governance and Finance Sub-committees
- Currently providing executive coaching, mentoring and leadership
development training
Partner at a global boutique consumer goods consultancy and member of the
board of DUET Acquisitions, a SPAC listed on Nasdaq
Previously, Managing Director of BAT (Malaysia) and a member of the board
and audit committee. 25 years of executive leadership across 10 countries
- MBA, Northumbria University
Bsc in Marketing and Finance, University of Applied Sciences in Groningen (NL)
- Governor since 2024
- Member of the Finance Sub-committee
- CEO and co-founder of KitaHQ, a pioneering company helping businesses
streamline hiring through AI-driven solutions
Founding member of Grab
Previously, Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company
- MBA, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University Bachelor of
Commerce (Hons) Accounting, Tunku Abdul Rahman University
- Governor since 2024
All governors are volunteers and collectively give their time, skills and energy to further the long-term best interests of the School.
Governors are not representatives of the parents who elected them or the respective trustee organisation which nominated them but instead are required by law to make decisions in the long-term best interests of the School as a whole: governing for current and future students of the School.
Decisions are made by the Council as a collective and no individual governor on their own, including the Chair, has any decision making authority.
Council’s role is to function at a strategic level in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Association. As such, Council’s core functions are to:
Council’s sole employee is the Head of School to whom Council delegates responsibility for the day-to-day management and operations of the school. The Head of School is accountable to Council for the educational performance of the school and its students and the performance management of staff.
Council meets twice a term to consider strategic matters relevant to the core functions mentioned above. More detailed work takes place through the subcommittees which meet more frequently.
The sub-committees are made up of 2-3 governors, the Head of School (and other relevant members of school leadership) and parent members of the Association who have the specific expertise and skills required for the relevant sub-committee. Strategic agenda items and recommendations made by the sub-committees are then raised at full Council Meetings for discussion and approval as required. Role of the different sub-committees are described below.
| Sub-committees | Roles |
| Education | The EFC works with school leadership at a strategic level on matters of academic achievement, curriculum, quality of learning and teaching, pastoral care, including short and long term educational planning. |
| Finance | The FSC provides financial oversight for the school, sets financial policies and monitors and advises the Council of Governors about the School’s overall financial health and its long term financial sustainability. |
| Governance | The GSC ensures the Council of Governors operates effectively and in accordance with international standards of governance practice. |
| Masterplan | The MPS provides strategic and consultative assistance for implementation and construction of the School’s Master plan across both campuses. The MPS also ensures that there are appropriate procedures for cost estimation, competitive tendering, administration and project management. |
| Digital Technology | Provides strategic direction and support the digital technological objectives, projects and KPIs within the Strategic Roadmap. |
| Foundation Board | The Foundation Board provides strategic direction and leadership as well as oversees the governance and management of the Alice Smith School Foundation. |
| Head of School Evaluation Sub-committee | The HoSEC sets goals as well as evaluates the performance of the HoS (Governor only). |
Council also has a Safeguarding Governor, a Health & Safety Governor and a Cybersecurity Governor who take leadership responsibility for ensuring the school’s safeguarding, child protection, health and safety and cybersecurity arrangements comply with international best practice. In addition to Council’s subcommittees, task forces are used by Council to undertake specific short-term tasks.
The Council also welcomes parents to volunteer their time to serve on the various subcommittees and a briefing is held annually for interested parents to learn more about the workings of those subcommittees and the Council of Governors. Parent members on subcommittees often bring unique perspectives that allow for more robust discussions to be had. It allows the school to tap into the depth and expertise of the many qualified and skilled parents in our community. It also serves as a pathway to becoming a Governor. If you are a parent and are interested in applying your professional skills and expertise to further our school's purpose and shape its educational future; or actively contribute to the education experience of future generations of all students, please get in touch with our Head of Policy and Governance.
The administration of Council matters is managed by the Head of Policy and Governance. The Head of Policy and Governance has a pivotal role in ensuring the Council follows best practice governance processes and protocols and in assisting Council to achieve its annual and long-term strategic goals. The Head of Policy and Governance also acts as a key conduit between the Council and the School’s executive leadership team.
If you have any questions about the Council of Governors or would like to get in touch about volunteering as a parent member on a subcommittee, please e-mail Ms. Karyn Khoo at [email protected].
