Our Team

Susie Lee-Fernandes has served in public education for over 23 years in the roles of teacher, principal and superintendent with responsibilities for equity, special education and leadership development. She is a dedicated educator and life-long learner, committed to culturally responsive leadership and authentic collaboration with community partners. Part of her own learning journey has included the completion of a Doctor of Education degree with an equity-based research focus on anti-Black racism in education.

As the Director of Professional Learning, Susie is committed to developing and providing relevant, engaging and meaningful learning opportunities for school and system leaders. She believes in continuous growth and improvement within professional learning spaces that must be responsive to the diverse needs of Members and associates. Through relationship-building and professional learning networks, Susie is honoured to support principals and vice-principals in exemplary school leadership at the local, national and international levels.

Connect with Susie

Email: slee-fernandes@principals.on.ca

Lilli Audeh is a distinguished educator with over 30 years of experience, including 15 years in school leadership and educational consulting. She has held multiple leadership positions including School Director, Academic Advisor, Dean of Faculty and Educational Consultant. During her most recent position with Qatar Foundation (QF), she assisted in policy development to improve consistency and increase collaboration across the leadership teams of QF schools.

Before her tenure in Qatar, Lilli held prominent positions such as Dean of the Faculty at King’s Academy in Jordan and Educational Consultant and Trainer in Mississauga, Canada. At King’s Academy, she led faculty professional development, managed appraisals, and fostered a collaborative environment. In her consulting role, she designed and delivered workshops, established appraisal programs, and implemented best practices in leadership management.

Lilli’s earlier career included serving as Associate Dean of the Faculty at King’s Academy and as a faculty member of English language and literature, specializing in curriculum development, teaching, and student mentorship. She holds a Master of Science in Multidisciplinary Studies/Education from SUNY University of New York College, a BA degree in English Language and Literature from Jordan University and various professional certifications.

Having lived in Jordan, Qatar and Canada, Lilli is bilingual (English/Arabic) possessing a high level of integrity and intercultural awareness; keys for building harmonious and diverse professional learning communities. Her passion for school improvement is in her DNA with a father who served as a professor for 46 years. Lilli is a proud mother of two adult sons who live in Canada and who continuously inspire her to become a better human.

“I have had the privilege to witness first-hand her exceptional leadership qualities, her unwavering integrity, and her deep commitment to education….Her passion for purposeful and relevant teaching and learning has been a driving force….I wholeheartedly endorse Lilli for her outstanding leadership and communication skills, her intercultural awareness, and her ability to build and nurture a vibrant educational community.”  Director Qatar Academy Doha 2024

Brian is dedicated in the realm of international education exchange and cooperation, boasting over a decade of experience. His expertise lies in fostering collaborative initiatives between Canada and East Asia.

As the Co-Founder and Director of the Toronto Fundamental Education Development and Exchange Association, a non-profit organization established in 2016, Brian has successfully forged strategic partnerships with the Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC) and the Toronto District School Board International (TDSB International). His notable achievements include orchestrating the participation of Chinese principals in OPC International Principal forums and facilitating groups of international students in the TDSB Culture Immersion Program in 2017 and 2018. Additionally, Brian facilitated reciprocal engagements by organizing visits of OPC and TDSB officials to educational forums in China, establishing a robust foundation for cross-cultural educational collaboration.

Brian’s extensive professional history also includes serving as the Regional Director at CAEL from 2012 to 2016. During this tenure, he spearheaded the establishment of two test centers in public high schools in Shandong, China, offering comprehensive test preparation courses for Canadian university applicants.

An ardent advocate for embracing the era of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, Brian actively engages in researching the impact and challenges that AI presents to the educational landscape. He collaborates closely with AI researchers, scholars, and young talents from universities on innovative AI projects. His pioneering work in developing programs for AI + Edu applications positions him at the forefront of this evolving field.

Brian holds a Post-graduate Certificate in Business Management, complementing his academic background, which includes a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Diploma of Business from East China University of Science and Technology. Fluent in both English and Mandarin, Brian embodies a global perspective and is committed to advancing international education through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge advancements in technology.

Geraldine joins the OPC-ISL team in 2023 after over 25 years of working in the education system of Peru: Director of International Projects SEA Inc. Canada (2014-present), Villa Caritas and San Pedro Schools (English Teacher, Admission, counselor), and instructor at Catolica University.

In the role as Director of International Projects SEA Inc., Geraldine works closely with OPC-ISL in developing Ontario study tours for Peruvian school leaders. The work involves recruiting participants, organizing the event, and monitoring the program. Geraldine is also involved in translating and delivering an OPC-ISL program (Leadership Essentials Certificate Program) for delivery in Spanish for school leaders in Columbia and Peru.

Geraldine believes “that the work of an inspired educational leader is essential in the impact they have on their students and that each one of their students is a unique star with infinite potential.”

“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.

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.