Our Team

Nadine Trépanier-Bisson, former school teacher turned executive, is an agent of change within the world of education and professional learning. With a career spanning more than two decades, she currently serves as the Director of Professional Learning for the Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC) and Chief Operations and Leadership Officer of International School Leadership (ISL).

Prior to joining OPC and ISL, Nadine was the Executive Director for l’Association des directions et directions adjointes des écoles franco-ontariennes (ADFO). Fluently bilingual in English and French, Nadine exhibits a passion for the design, development and implementation of professional learning opportunities.

The current conditions call for adaptability and Nadine relishes working in a changing environment. As an educator, innovator and leader, she sparks conversations around discerning the needs of professional learners and seeks to leverage technology to drive ISL and its work forward.

The work ISL does is connected to the research. Nadine leans on the research and has applied research-based practical professional learning for school and system leaders. She has the ability to connect with scholars and practitioners and bring them together to produce results.

With a focus on developing strong organizational skills, she is committed to building a sustainable model from the ground up. Embracing change is not seen as a risk, but rather a reward for thinking outside of the box and challenging current ways of thinking.

Every connection she makes translates to a more meaningful understanding of the world. Every connection Nadine makes translates to a more meaningful understanding of the world. She is a champion of diversity, inclusion and carries an eagerness to engage the younger generation, which speaks to her adaptability. The commitment to lifelong learning is evidenced by her pursuit of a Doctorate of Education (EdD) in the area of International Education. A love for her family, cooking, reading and swimming, guides her out of office life.

Connect with Nadine

Email: ntrepanier@principals.on.ca

Networking Site: LinkedIn

In the course of his 36+ year career as a professional global educator, Alfred has excelled as a veteran teacher of Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science, and as a highly regarded school leader. During his tenure as principal, Alfred worked to enhance learning outcomes by empowering school leaders through coaching, mentoring and professional development. Further, he initiated and engaged in partnerships between schools in Uganda and the United Kingdom, thereby developing collective knowledge and appreciation for issues of diversity, inclusivity, leadership and global citizenry.

He also served as the National Vice Chairperson of the Association of Secondary School Head Teachers of Uganda, where he was responsible for professional development and Information Communication Technology (ICT) development of school leaders across the country. In addition to his multiple contributions to association leadership, Alfred has also made an impact as a member of the African Confederation of Principals and the International Confederation of Principals, regional and global professional associations, respectively.

He is passionate about Web and Systems Development, and is particularly adept at Online Course Development related to leadership, education management, and ICT. Through the advancement of technology in teaching and learning, he has been a true change agent. Alfred was one of the pioneering teachers to use CyberSchool Technology and technology-based pedagogy in Uganda. He trained teachers of the World Bank Computer-based SchoolNet program, supported by World Links for Development (currently World Links Organization) and thereby helped to link teachers and schools and spearhead innovative use of ICT in education.

Over the past two decades, Alfred has facilitated and instructed a variety of programs related to leadership, management, and education. He is a validated trainer of British Council global professional development programs, including Connecting Classrooms, Global Citizenship and School Partnership, for school leaders and teachers.

In his long career, Alfred has enjoyed opportunities to work very closely with different arms of the Education Ministry of Uganda, responsible for national assessment, curriculum development, and quality assurance of education standards.

Connect with Alfred

Email: aokello@ischoolleadership.com

“I’ve always been passionate about being the best you can be, and about growing as a professional. I enjoy sharing those experiences to help school leaders support student achievement.”

Bob’s deep expertise and broad experience would be enough to make him a respected figure in the field, but when you add in his love of helping other people succeed, you have a truly exceptional educational leader. He is a popular and sought-after instructor with an unwavering focus on giving educators the knowledge and practical tools that will help them improve their schools and boost student learning.

An award-winning elementary school principal for more than 25 years, Bob went on to help found Ontario’s Leading Student Achievement Initiative, an unprecedented effort that saw the province’s three school systems collaborating to promote excellence in leadership. He has taught candidates in the Ontario Principal’s Qualification Program and served as a lead reviewer of science and literacy texts with the Ontario Curriculum Centre. After consulting in many different school environments, he recently spent a year as the principal at The American School of Bangkok where he also spearheaded the development of an online school system.

Bob draws on his wide-ranging career when instructing educational leaders around the world, whether in person or virtually, in countries including Australia, Brazil, China, Denmark, Norway, Peru, South Africa, Sweden, and Qatar.  He encourages participants in his sessions to consider the same questions he applies to his own professional life: “How can I grow? How can I continuously improve as a leader?”

In all he does, Bob encourages an understanding of emotional intelligence to help learners bring out the best in themselves, their staff, and their students. Course participants praise Bob’s good humour, professionalism, approachability, and ability to adapt to local circumstances and incorporate local scenarios. It’s a testament to his personality and effectiveness that former students stay in touch to share news of their careers and achievements. “It’s very gratifying to know you’ve made a difference in someone’s life,” Bob says.

A simple philosophy runs throughout Frédérick’s entire career in education: a student is a student is a student, and making a connection with that student is what makes learning possible. Whether as a teacher in suburban southern Ontario or an administrator in the province’s north, his ability to create meaningful relationships with learners has marked every stage of his life and work. “I always made sure the students felt welcome and then I started to teach,” he says.

Sure, his earlier career as a radio DJ drew out his natural qualities as a bit of a showman, but it was a workshop in his second year of teaching that revealed the understanding that would shape the rest of his life. The instructor had the participants think of their worst subject in high school, something they never touched after it was compulsory, and make note of what they remembered. “I wrote down a few words,” Frédérick says. “But then he said, ‘Now, write down what you remember about the teacher.’ And I started writing right away. The instructor said, ‘See? Who you are is much more important than what you know.’”

As a fluently bilingual educator who has moved among many different school environments, Frédérick combines passion and strong academic credentials in his work with ISL. He coached both athletic and improv teams, and started other groups where he saw a need for students to have a place they could call their own. He has worked with students from junior kindergarten through Grade 12 in a variety of roles.

“People always say elementary and secondary schools are completely different and I’ve always completely disagreed with that. The connection with students has always been so much more important than anything else.”

In his time with the Ontario Ministry of Education, Frédérick was involved in creating new approaches to both high school co-op and the teaching of the mandatory secondary school careers course. “It was one of the first times that the English and French writing teams in the same room at the same time, instead of just getting the English material and translating.”

Bringing people together to achieve great things continues to be a hallmark of everything Frédérick does. In his relationships with francophone educators, he brings the same energy and positive outlook, whether he’s working with small minority language communities in western Canada or a unique French-speaking area in Morocco. “I’ve made many mistakes over my career, I’ve corrected them, and I’ve learned so much. I enjoy continuing the storytelling.”

The pursuit of excellence has motivated Hans Nilsson throughout his 45-year career in education. His passion for helping students be healthy and well-rounded, combined with his deep experience in Sweden’s education system, give him unparalleled insights into what works for students, schools, and their leaders.

The former teacher, principal, and (recently retired) superintendent has helped produce meaningful improvements in academic achievement among Swedish students. “We have raised results seven years in a row despite having thousands of newly arrived immigrants entering the system.” At least as importantly, Hans has been involved with efforts to create common approaches and information-sharing among principals in Malmö, Sweden, such as a framework to guide new and long-serving leaders alike.

During his time as an associated school director, he coordinated superintendents in the six districts of Malmö to develop their schools using a common approach. He also acted as the bridge between superintendents at different levels of the system, planned new schools, and created opportunities for schools and local companies to work together to prepare students for the future. He also organized annual conferences in his country’s three biggest cities to enable system leaders to learn from each other and ultimately change education in Sweden.

His experience has shown him that teaching educators isn’t that different from teaching younger students. Trying to force change doesn’t work. Rather, Hans says, “If they’re not getting the results they want, you have to help them open their eyes to see something that might be a good idea.” The real success comes when teachers, principals, and superintendents start to share what they’ve learned to help each other.

Given his background as a national-level gymnast and coach, and his more recent work as a ski instructor and diving coach, Hans naturally emphasizes the importance of helping students be physically active in ways they enjoy. When educators connect with students and help them feel good about themselves, he says, achievement follows.

“There’s so much research. We see it everywhere in the world. Kids have more psychological problems, and the pandemic hasn’t helped. This is something we need to address because if you don’t feel good you can’t do well at school and physical activity, we know, enhances learning ability.”

After many years of study and summers of work in the United States, Hans is also a fluent English-speaker.

Ken’s 35 + years of professional experience include leadership roles in both education and business on both coasts of the USA, as well as, Taiwan, Hong, Kong, and Thailand.

He has served as a school administrator for a national private residential school setting and for international school communities in Taiwan and Thailand.  At Milton Hershey School in Pennsylvania, USA, a member of the Coalition of Residential Schools (CORE) and National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), Ken served as a Houseparent and Neighborhood Consultant in the residential program before moving on to help guide Family Relations and New Student Orientation. Ken has also served as Director of Admissions & Student Support Services at Hsinchu International School in Taiwan and as Director of Admissions and Counselor at the International School Eastern Seaboard in Thailand. He proudly supported the first-time school accreditation process for HIS with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Ken has also benefitted greatly from the assortment of professional training and networking opportunities provided by the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS).

Ken is passionate about international & multicultural education and eager to continue his growth as an advocate and ally for equity, diversity, and inclusion. During his nine years of living in Taiwan, he designed and instructed undergraduate and graduate courses at National Chiao Tung University and Asia University. He has also facilitated training for legal professionals and high tech business executives. As a sales consultant for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a global education publisher, he traveled to k-12 school campuses across east and southeast Asia to meet with school leaders interested in new developments and materials to support curricular program successes.

In addition to his travels, Ken’s commitment to life-long learning is reflected in his pursuit of formal education that includes an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Susquehanna University, and post-graduate Master degrees in International & Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco and Global Business Administration from National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. Ken holds certification as a TESOL Instructor and has also completed partial coursework toward a Ph.D in Human Development at Marywood University.

Through his career, Ken’s genuine enthusiasm for boundary-spanning and supporting the discovery of our unique potential together have made him a highly effective coach, instructor, team-player, and education leader.  Ken is married to Brenda and together they are proud parents to three sons: Tyler, Jordan, and Mitchell.

Connect with Ken

Email: kwillis@ischoolleadership.com