Our Team

Raquel Nahas

Originally from Canada, and Lebanese by origin, Raquel bridged her interest of different cultures and passion for education by embarking on a career in international education. Raquel has worked in various educational capacities for the past 15 years across the region including teaching, consultancy, teacher training and executive educational leadership.

Raquel began her IB experience as a founding member of an IB continuum school in the UAE later to serve as an educational consultant with a focus on driving school improvement. Raquel has developed nationally recognised vocational teacher training programmes, in Early Years, Primary and Secondary Education.

Raquel has served as an executive leader of an IB continuum school for many years, leading strategic plans to achieve operational excellence and superior results across student learning, faculty professional development, parent & community relations and school evaluations.

Raquel is a strong advocate of the principles that an International Baccalaureate Education fosters and believes that a school is a hub for the community where all stakeholders must work together to ensure students become the best versions of themselves, physically, emotionally, academically, and socially.

Mark Bishop

Mark was born in Wales, where he began his passion for sport. He trained as a teacher of Physical Education in 1993 and started his first teaching post in Horsham, West Sussex.

During this appointment, he started working as a Pastoral Leader, looking after the care and welfare of the students. In 2001 he moved to Chichester, West Sussex, as Head of Physical Education and Head of Year, combining his passion for education, sport and student welfare. After 10 years of service in Chichester, he moved with his family to Dubai and joined Greenfield Community School, as Head of Physical Education, for the opening of the Secondary building.

Mark has had multiple roles at Greenfield including Head of Physical Education, Director of Sport, DP Coordinator and University Councillor. In 2018 he was promoted to the school senior leadership team as Assistant Head of Secondary with responsibility for student care and welfare before taking up the position of Deputy Head of Secondary in August 2020. Mark achieved is ambition of becoming Head of Secondary school in August 2023 and is proud to continue his long association with GIS.

As well as being Head of Secondary, Mark is part of the IBEN Team as a Workshop Leader and School Site Visitor. He has also completed the Tribal Inspection and NPQ Facilitator training.

Brenda Coughlan

Originally from Ireland, Brenda completed her BSc in Biomedical Science at the National University of Ireland, Galway before entering the field of education. While obtaining a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from the University of East London, she honed her skills in teaching and curriculum development. Brenda has held a range of roles within the field, showcasing her versatility and dedication to the profession.

When working as a class teacher, Brenda ensured her students received a well-rounded education while fostering positive learning environments.

This then led to her appointment as a year leader and, following this, as an assistant head, where she oversaw the progress and wellbeing of multiple year groups. Building upon her previous experience, Brenda joined Greenfield International School as Head of Early Years, where she implemented strategies to enhance school performance and student outcomes.

In her new role as Deputy Head of Primary, Brenda will be supporting wellbeing and pastoral care, in addition to overseeing student achievement and supporting whole school improvement initiatives. Brenda is committed to academic excellence and has a passion for nurturing young minds.

George Huteson

George Huteson graduated from the University of Birmingham in the UK with a BSc (Hons) degree in Food & Consumer Management, before gaining over 10 years of experience in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods industry in the UK and New Zealand, in a range of sales and marketing roles.

He completed his post-graduate teaching qualification at the University of Manchester, specialising in Business and Economics education.

George completed six years of experience as a teacher of Business & Economics, Head of Department and Career Academies coordinator at a high-performing Secondary school in East Cheshire in the UK before moving to Dubai.

Initially joining Greenfield International School in 2019 as the Head of Individuals & Societies, George occupied the role of Career-related Programme Coordinator and CAS Coordinator prior to moving into the role of Acting Deputy Head of Secondary.

Robert Bandy

Robert Bandy graduated from the University of Reading in the UK with a BA in German Studies, having also studied at the Heinrich-Heine Universität in Düsseldorf, Germany, before completing his teaching qualification at the University of Southampton.

Having experience in teaching adults and young learners both German and English as foreign languages, Robert was appointed as a German teacher at a Secondary School in Buckinghamshire in the UK.

He went on to spend 10 years as a Head of Department at that school before moving to Dubai.

Initially joining as the Head of Modern Foreign Languages, Robert has since been appointed as Head of School Improvement at Greenfield International School before moving on to his current role as Deputy Head of School with a central responsibility for student achievement.

Shahenda Ahmed

Shahenda has lived in the UAE for more than twenty-one years and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Arabic Language and Literature from the University of Jordan.

She has more than fifteen years of experience working in international schools and has held a number of leadership positions, including Assistant Principal and Head of Ministry of Education Subjects.

Shahenda is a passionate, dedicated educator and leader, who as a lifelong learner, strives to keep abreast of new teaching techniques and educational strategies.

She is passionate about ensuring her team support student’s individual learning needs and creates an atmosphere of curiosity and enthusiasm to inspire a generation of Arabic learners who are proud of their language and culture.

Pieter Killian

Originally from South Africa, Pieter has extensive experience teaching in schools in the UAE having previously worked in an outstanding-rated school in Dubai.

Pieter developed a passion for sports from a young age and engaged in a diverse range of extracurricular activities throughout his school years. This innate love for physical activity and its profound impact on holistic development inspired his pursuit of a career in education.
Pieter completed his PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) at the prestigious University of Sunderland. His inherent skills and dedication also led him to play rugby internationally, representing clubs such as Marr in Scotland and Harlequins in Abu Dhabi. He is currently captaining Dubai Exiles 1st XV and holds the position of Director of Rugby at Warriors Rugby Club. Pieter also represented the UAE national team in the Asia First Division competition in July 2023.

Pieter’s overarching mission as an educator is to empower students to become the best versions of themselves. He envisions a learning environment that not only imparts knowledge but also cultivates character, resilience, and a sense of purpose. His approach to education emphasizes holistic development, where students’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being are all paramount. Through his guidance and commitment, he aspires to inspire the next generation of athletes, sports enthusiasts, and, above all, well-rounded individuals who are ready to take on the world.

Michelle Durham

Michelle Durham is from the UK and completed her BA in English and French in 2001 at De Montfort University, Leicester and received her NASENCo qualification at the Institute of Education, University of London.

Since then, she has had over 15 years of middle leadership and senior leadership.

Most recently she was the Assistant Head Teacher Inclusion Special Needs at Whitmore High School.

Dr. Sanja Vičević Ivanović

Dr Sanja Vičević Ivanović has over 15 years of experience in education, ranging from the position of a specialist teacher, head of department, teacher trainer, school director to a researcher.

After graduating from the University of Zagreb with a double major in Italian Language and Literature and German Language and Literature, she completed her PhD in Language Teaching.

She is multilingual with a deep understanding of diverse cultural practices bringing strong international mindedness to the role of the PYP Coordinator.

Before moving to Dubai, Sanja gained considerable teaching and leadership expertise in Croatian Primary schools, including bilingual curriculum, and successfully managed her own language school. In addition to her rich professional experience, she published a number of scientific articles demonstrating her keen interest in integrating theory and practice, especially in the field of early language learning.

Away from education, Sanja enjoys spending time with her family, camping, and reading books.

Bernadette O’Donnell

Bernadette O’Donnell graduated from the University of Limerick in Ireland with a BA (Hons) in English and History in 2010.

She began her teaching career in Dubai before obtaining her P.G.D.E from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland in 2014.

Following this, she completed a M.A. in Education whilst teaching in some of the top-performing schools in Scotland.

She returned to the Middle East in 2018 and joined Greenfield International School. During her time in the school, she has been a class teacher of English in MYP and DP, AGT Coordinator and Head of English.

Bernadette has since been appointed as the Middle Years Programme Coordinator.

Sarah Atienza

Sarah Atienza is our Diploma Programme Coordinator and brings a wealth of experience to the role. She is a highly qualified IB teacher with 19 years teaching experience.

She has taught all IB Programmes – PYP, MYP, DP and CP and for the past 10 years has concentrated her efforts on teaching MYP and DP English and Theory of Knowledge.

She is an IB examiner for DP English A and Theory of Knowledge.

Before Dubai, Sarah worked in prominent international schools in Manila and undertook different leadership roles in those institutions. Since joining Greenfield in 2012 she has been Head of English, TOK Coordinator and Moral Education Lead in our Secondary section.

Sarah has a Master’s Degree in Development Education from the University of Asia and the Pacific, and is working towards her PHD.

GEMELYN PALO

Gemelyn Rodriguez-Palo has been in education for more than 20 years and half of this time has been in leadership roles. Gemelyn received her NPQSL Qualification in 2022 and has recently completed her Master’s in Education in Leadership from Liverpool John Moores University.

Before coming to Dubai in 2011, Gemelyn was the Head of High School Division in one of the high-performing international schools in Manila, Philippines. She held a middle leadership position in a GEMS school between 2011-2013.

Since joining Greenfield in 2013, she has been the MUN Assistant Coordinator, Head of Individuals and Societies, Extended Essay Coordinator and MYP Teaching and Learning Lead in the Secondary Division.

She is also an IB Examiner for two courses including History and Extended Essay. Gemelyn is our IBCP Coordinator who believes that interdisciplinary thinking enriches perspectives, catalyzing innovative solutions and boundless creativity.