Dr. Jane Camblin, Head of School
Dr. Jane Camblin most recently held the position of Executive Director of the United Nations International School, a position she assumed in August, 2013. Prior to that, she was Head of the French American International School in San Francisco. Both are large, highly accredited K-12 institutions offering dynamic, challenging, academically rigorous programmes leading to the International or French Baccalaureate degrees.

Dr. Camblin holds an honours degree in English and Russian, from Bristol University, UK; a graduate degree from Sydney University, Australia, in teaching Theatre and English as a Second Language; and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration and Bilingual Education from Stanford University, USA. She has worked previously as a teacher, administrator and consultant in public and private schools in England, France, Monaco, Australia and the United States, and is a recipient of an SDB Outstanding Educator Fellowship Award (Johns Hopkins University) and a Klingenstein Fellowship (Columbia University). In July 2016, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree (JD) by Bristol University in recognition of her lifelong work in international education.

Dr. Camblin was a three-term elected Board member of the Council of International Schools (CIS), a membership organization representing the interests of hundreds of international schools around the world, and was the founding Chair of the Council of International Schools in the Americas (CIStA). She currently serves as Chair of the Foundation Board of Bristol University, and until January 2012 held an elected seat on the International Baccalaureate Heads Council, providing advice to the Executive Director of the IB Organization on strategic policy issues. Currently, Dr. Camblin also serves as Vice Chair of the Manhattan Guild of Independent Schools, as a Trustee of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), and sits on the Board of Governors of the Lycee International de Londres Winston Churchill.

In 2004, Dr. Camblin was named Chevalier des Palmes Academiques by the French Ministry of Education for her services to French culture and education as a dynamic and innovative visionary leader who believes fervently that an intellectually challenging international 21st century education emphasizing critical thinking, cross-cultural communication, and a strong appreciation of and respect for diversity in all its forms, is of utmost importance to the world in which we live.

Dr. Tim Kaiser, Upper School Principal
Dr. Kaiser is originally from Canada and has been at CDNIS for 24 years. He taught English Literature, History, and Philosophy for a number of years before becoming Vice Principal and now Principal of the Upper School. Dr. Kaiser is proud of the fact that he has seen every single graduate from CDNIS receive their diploma since the first graduating class in 2009. He constantly marvels at the dedication, drive and generosity of spirit that characterises CDNIS students, both past and present. As Principal of the Upper School, Dr. Kaiser is responsible for staff and student recruitment, for ensuring that both IB and OSSD standards are met, and in general for maintaining the standards of excellence and inventiveness for which the CDNIS Upper School is increasingly known, both within Hong Kong and the region.

Dr. Kaiser has a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan, a Master of Arts from the University of Hong Kong, and an EdD from the University of Bristol.

Dr. Kaiser is also an accomplished writer. One of his stories based on his experience teaching in northern Canada won a Canadian national short story competition and is now part of the syllabus in secondary English programmes in Sweden and Denmark. His short stories and poems have been published in 11 countries. In addition, Dr. Kaiser's poems are taught at HKU and CUHK and are included in the English Language Curriculum and Assessment Guide for HK secondary students.

Ms. Barbara Dacho, Upper School Vice Principal of Student Life and Leadership
Ms. Dacho began her career in Ontario where she spent 15 years teaching Humanities and Science to Grade 7 and 8 students. In 2005, she and her husband moved to Hong Kong and started a new life at CDNIS.  

Prior to becoming a Vice Principal in the Upper School, Ms. Dacho taught various Humanities subjects to students in Grades 7 to 12. She is OSSD, DP and MYP qualified. A Geography Major, Ms. Dacho was a DP Geography teacher for five years as well as a teacher of MYP Humanities. She was also involved in other student based activities including coaching volleyball and badminton, as well as being the teacher supervisor for the Upper School Environment Club and being a teacher advisor for the Upper School Student Council (USSC).

Ms. Dacho gained extensive leadership experience in her role as the Head of Department for Humanities. She is and has been actively involved with the implementation and development of many programmes at CDNIS including Experience Week, the Student Advisory Programme, the Sexual Health Education Programme and student group programmes (excluding athletics). Throughout her time at the school, she continues to be involved in several committees such as the Laptop Implementation Committee, the Information Literacy Committee (Chair), the SEED committee, the Parent Liaison Committee, and the Uniform Committee to name a few.

Mr. David Butler, Upper School Vice Principal of Academics
Mr. Butler is originally from Ontario Canada, where he worked in both the Durham and York Region District School Boards before beginning his overseas adventure. During his 13 years at Dhahran High School in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Butler served as a History teacher, department head, and six years as High School Assistant Principal, where he helped lead the school as it adopted the IB Diploma Programme.

Mr. Butler is a graduate of Queen’s University where he received both his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Bachelor of Education degrees. Prior to beginning his teaching career, he graduated with a Master of Philosophy degree in European History from the University of Cambridge and has since completed a second Master's degree in Educational Leadership through Western University in Ontario. He also holds his Principal's Qualifications from the Ontario College of Teachers. He is currently working towards his EdD from Western University.

Since joining CDNIS in January 2016, Mr. Butler’s responsibilities have centred on supporting the teaching of Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) courses within the frameworks of the IB Middle Years and Diploma Programmes. He has also taught Theory of Knowledge, performed in the school musical, and continues to advise the Junior Model United Nations club.

Mr. Butler strives to lead through integrity, transparency, and collaboration. He is thrilled to be part of the CDNIS community and to do his part to provide students with an academically rigorous education infused with the joy of learning.

Ms. Nathalie Millette, Upper School Vice Principal of the Transition Years
Nathalie Millette is originally from Montreal, Canada. She brings 20 years of experience as a teacher and school leader, and has worked in two independent schools in Toronto, Ontario. Ms. Millette spent 16 years teaching History and Humanities in both French and English at Branksome Hall, where she also served as Head of the Individuals and Societies Department and as an Instructional Leader. During this time, Ms. Millette supported the introduction and development of the IB DP and MYP and was actively involved in developing international experiential opportunities for students in South Africa and Costa Rica. Most recently, Ms. Millette has been the Director of Teaching and Learning as well as MYP Coordinator at the Toronto French School (TFS) and has worked closely with teachers to develop an academically rigorous curriculum which meets the requirements of the Ontario Ministry of Education, the French National Ministry of Education and the International Baccalaureate. She is a passionate educator committed to developing best practices in teaching and learning, as well as fostering a nurturing learning environment where each student will thrive.

Ms. Millette holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Ottawa, a Master of Arts in History from Concordia University and a Bachelor of Education from McGill University. Ms. Millette is currently completing her Principal’s Qualifications with the Ontario College of Teachers. She is a member of the IB Educators’ Network and serves as an MYP workshop leader and site visitor as well as a curriculum reviewer.

Outside of school, Ms. Millette is an avid reader, who loves to spend as much time outdoors as possible. She is looking forward to starting her new adventure in Hong Kong and working with a dedicated and dynamic team of teachers and school leaders at CDNIS.

Mr. Lief Erickson, Lower School Principal
Mr. Lief Erickson, originally from Oregon in the United States, found his passion for international teaching early in his career. He completed his undergraduate degree student teaching in New Zealand, and 23 years later he is still educating young people around the world. He recently held the position of Primary School Principal at the International School of Lausanne, Switzerland, where he has been working for the past 13 years.

Mr. Erickson has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Montana State University and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from San Diego State University. He has previously been a teacher and curriculum coordinator in international schools in Saipan, Thailand, Italy, Norway, and the United Arab Emirates.

Committed to international school improvement, Mr. Erickson has been a member and co-chair of numerous accreditation teams for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and the Council of International Schools. Through these experiences, he has developed an in-depth knowledge of conceptually-based teaching and learning practices. He strongly believes that a school curriculum should develop both knowledge and transferable skills, and include an articulated well-being programme in order to prepare young people for future challenges and career paths.

Mr. DJ MacPherson, Lower School Vice Principal
​A Canadian citizen from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Mr. MacPherson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (History) from St. Francis Xavier University, a Bachelor of Education degree from Brock University, a Master of Arts degree (History) from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Education degree (Curriculum Studies) from the University of Western Ontario.

An educator for over 20 years, Mr. MacPherson served as a classroom teacher at several international schools in the southern China region before moving into school administration. He has demonstrated himself as a leader in curricular development and committed to a student-centred, inquiry-driven approach to teaching and learning. Mr. MacPherson is a strong advocate for student well-being. He believes that a core purpose for educators is to establish a learning context that is positive, joyful and inspiring for children so they can become confident, self-driven learners. 

Mrs. Zoe Heggie, Lower School Vice Principal
An educator for over 20 years, Mrs. Heggie (nee Jeynes) completed a BA in Modern Languages at Bath University and a PGCE in Primary Education at Warwick, before taking up her first teaching post at a small infant school in Bath, where she formed part of the Senior Management team.

A product of an international upbringing herself, itchy feet soon got the better of her and she left her homeland once again. She was appointed Early Years Coordinator (Pre-K to Grade 2) at the International School Moshi, Tanzania. It was there that she met her Australian husband and moved with him to Southern Queensland where she worked at schools in both Queensland and New South Wales, while juggling the demands of being a mother of two small children and completing her Master’s degree in Education.

Wanting their own children to experience the cultural diversity and richness of experience that being part of international communities affords, Mrs. Heggie and her husband later joined the International School of Manila, where she was the Programme Leader of the Early Childhood Learning Centre.

Since coming to Hong Kong in 2012, she has held various teaching and leadership positions at ESF and CDNIS. She is driven by a desire to ensure that schools continue to look for all the best possible ways to provide a cutting edge global education for the next generation. As such, she feels very fortunate to be part of the dynamic and forward-thinking leadership team here at CDNIS.

Ms. Penny Pan, Director of Chinese Studies
Ms. Pan holds a Bachelor of Education degree from Australia and a Masters Degree of Curriculum and Teaching from the United States. For more than 20 years, Ms. Pan has taught Chinese in international schools in Australia, China and Hong Kong, and has worked with international students from K-12 within IB, AP, British, Canadian and Australian curriculum frameworks.

Ms. Pan also served as curriculum coordinator for Utahloy International School of Guangzhou, Hong Kong Academy and Hong Kong International School before she joined CDNIS as Director of Chinese Studies. Her key tasks as the leader of the school’s Chinese programme are teacher professional development, curriculum design and alignments, teaching strategies and teaching as leadership.

Ms. Pan has organized several Chinese language conferences and was invited by CIS/WASC to serve on the accreditation team as the Chinese expert.

Mr. Peter W.H. Wong, Director of Business Administration
Mr. Wong has been in a leadership role for many years with extensive experience in leading projects focused on driving growth and operational efficiency. He was a former Partner in KPMG Hong Kong, where his roles included Sector Head of Education, and a member of KPMG’s Global Education Network. Mr. Wong has over 18 years of professional experience in leading a diverse range of engagements ranging from financial statement and special purpose audits, risk management, due diligence, financial modelling, people and change, and accounting advisory. He has over 10 years of education-sector related experience in supporting and working with a range of educational organisations which has enabled him to develop a strong understanding of the operations of international schools in Hong Kong. His leadership roles in the respective Education Committees of the British Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has also enabled him to develop a good overview of education related matters both locally in Hong Kong and beyond.

Originally from and educated in Scotland, Mr. Wong holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Business Studies. He is a Qualified Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and a Qualified Certified Public Accountant from the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Mr. Benjamin Smith - Director of Advancement
Mr. Smith is an experienced development professional and educational administrator with over 15 years of experience in secondary and higher education. Mr. Smith started his career in education at New England College, a small liberal arts college in New Hampshire, USA. He progressively advanced to become the Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, implementing and building many new programmes. Mr. Smith then joined the University of New Hampshire’s growing development team as the Associate Director of Major Gifts for the College of Liberal Arts, his alma mater. In his role, he worked closely with the Dean of the College and the University’s Foundation Board members to gain support from the College’s alumni for the University’s leading initiatives.

Most recently, Mr. Smith left the United States to establish and implement the development programme as Director of Development for Leysin American School in Switzerland, one of the country’s prestigious boarding schools. During his time at LAS, Mr Smith travelled extensively in North America, Europe, and Asia building a culture of philanthropy and engagement focused on personal relationships and mission centred initiatives. He also served as the admissions representative for the Middle East. Mr. Smith was a member of the Senior Leadership team, served on numerous management committees, and worked directly with the Head of School and management board.

Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of New Hampshire and a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in Boston, Massachusetts. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Massachusetts and he is an active member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).