Originally from the UK, David has extensive experience as an educational leader specialising in the UK and IB curricula in Hong Kong, Czech Republic, Malaysia and the UAE. He has worked within, led and developed established schools and start-ups with rolls ranging from 400 to over 3000 pupils in the 3-18 age range.

David has a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from Staffordshire University (UK) and Master’s degrees in Transportation, IT and Education from the University of Hong Kong. He has enjoyed previous careers in the UK military and transport planning in the Far East.

Dinesh Kothari is the Chairman of Interstar Education and the Founder and Chairman of Victory Heights Primary School, a highly-regarded sister school to South View. Mr. Kothari is a well-known businessman and philanthropist in this region, with a proven track record of successfully founding and managing schools, both in India and the UAE, since 1998.

Dinesh is also the primary shareholder and the Managing Director of the well-known Delhi Private Schools (‘DPS’), which have 2 branches in the UAE – one in Sharjah and the other in Dubai (Discovery Gardens). He is also the owner of another DPS in Jodhpur, India which is a not-for-profit trust, and he manages the operations of all these schools, both in India and the UAE.

Dinesh is a qualified chartered accountant who has lived and worked in the UAE since 1974. He has extensive experience in the corporate and financial sector and has a range of business interests, including his own financial consulting practice.

Mr. Amit Kothari is a Director of Interstar Education and on the Board of Governors of Victory Heights Primary School, South View’s sister school. Amit is responsible for all new business development, strategy and finance for Interstar Education.

Amit is a corporate finance specialist with more than 20 years’ experience in corporate treasury, mergers & acquisitions and in private equity. He worked with Abraaj Capital in Dubai for 5 years, and prior to that, with the Holcim group in Zurich, Switzerland for over a decade. In addition to his role as a Director with Interstar Education, Amit has now set up his own strategic consulting practice and advises a range of MNCs on corporate strategy and development.

Amit holds a B.A. (Hons) degree from Illinois Wesleyan University in the U.S., as well as an MBA from the University of Cambridge, in the U.K.

Sasha is the Founding Principal of Victory Heights Primary School and a well-known and highly-regarded British school leader and educator in Dubai. Prior to joining Victory Heights Primary, Sasha worked in senior leadership positions both in the UK and then, in Egypt, at the Modern English School in Cairo. With a wealth of specialist knowledge and extensive experience, gained over 2 decades of teaching and leadership, Sasha is well-positioned to be a very valuable ‘critical friend’ for South View and support the school on its educational journey.

Sasha has a proven track record as a successful Founding Principal as evidenced by her being awarded Principal of the Year 2017 by the Education Journal Middle East. She is a passionate and very original school leader who takes a personal interest in the professional development of all her staff and has an incredible knack for bringing out the best in all children. Sasha continues to think ‘outside the box’ with her wide range of highly-regarded school initiatives.

Sasha graduated from the University of Chester in the U.K. with a B.Ed (Hons) degree and she gained her NPQH status in 2006. She is currently completing her MSc. in Human Resource Management at Liverpool University.

Jonathan Hughes -D’Aeth studied Geography at Liverpool University, and Education at Queens’ College, Cambridge. He taught in the UK at Rugby School and at Melbourne Grammar School Australia before becoming Headmaster of Milton Abbey School in 1995.

He was appointed as Headmaster of Repton School, Dubai in 2010 retiring after 22 years of Headship in 2017. He subsequently took on the role of Chief Education Officer at EKI running its schools across the UAE. Subsequently he has remained in Education as a consultant specialising in School Improvement, Teacher Training and Strategic Planning.

He was Chairman of the UK Boarding Schools Association in 2005. In addition, he served on the committee of the Society of Heads as well as working with the UK Department of Education on the Joint Council for Qualifications.

James Didcott is the Governing Board’s teacher representative, and currently a senior teacher at SVS teaching Year 4. James joined SVS from Victory Heights where he started as a founding staff member. Beginning his second career path in the UK, teaching primarily in KS2 classes and carrying out various leadership roles, James moved with his family to Dubai 8 years ago, returning to the country where he grew  up. Now with 15 years of teaching experience, James provides valuable insights into both classroom practice and school development.

Giovanni Criscione was born in Ragusa, Italy and since he was very young he had the pleasure to be exposed to a very inspiring international environment thanks to his parents who allowed him to travel worldwide and undertake international studies.

Giovanni’s background includes education and experience in International Relations, Public Affairs, Communications, Protocol and Diplomacy. Giovanni has been working in Dubai since 2016 first as Protocol Senior Manager and after as Head of Protocol for International Visits for Expo 2020 Dubai.

His past experiences include the United Nations in New York, the Italian Government, the Winter Olympic Games Torino 2006, Expo Milano 2015 and Expo Astana 2017. Giovanni holds a Law Degree from the University of Catania, Italy and a Master’s Degree in International Studies and Diplomacy from SIOI, Rome, Italy.