OUR TEAM
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
MRS MARGARET RAFEE
UNITED KINGDOM
Mrs Margaret Rafee has been an educator for over forty years having qualified as a teacher in a London university in 1979. She has taught English and French throughout her career and rose through the ranks until becoming a Headteacher in London in 2003. Over the 10 years of her headship in the U.K., she led the school with ambition for the whole school community. The school went from strength to strength and was rated as “Outstanding”, the highest rating in the U.K. inspection regime, when she left in 2013.
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Her wealth of experience and track record of excellence caught the eye of the CEO of an international school in Kuala Lumpur. Looking for a new challenge and a different perspective, Mrs Rafee took over from the founding Principal of the school in September 2013. During her 8 year tenure as Principal, the school enjoyed great success with exceptional academic outcomes, increasing enrolments and became the first school in Malaysia to be awarded the Gold standard (highest award) in the International School Quality Mark, following a rigorous inspection by a team from the U.K. The quality of the school and its delivery of a British-style curriculum and ethos also enabled entry into FOBISIA (Federation of British International Schools in Asia); this is a network for high quality international schools, which provides opportunities for students to interact with others from around the region and provides cutting edge training for teachers.
Mrs Rafee successfully steered the school through the challenging years of the Covid-19 pandemic, ensuring continued quality of education during lock-downs, upon the return to school and made the school ready to tackle any future crisis. In July 2021, she decided to retire and to return to the U.K. to be closer to her family.
In the U.K., Mrs Rafee continued to share her expertise, with the government Department for Education, to develop a qualification to support international school teachers: International Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS). She now works for the University of Sunderland training teachers, to ensure a supply of high quality educators, for international schools around the world.
She is also a member of the Board of Governors of two primary schools in Wales, where she now lives. She is delighted to join the Board of Governors of Pelican Grammar School, to support the school in becoming the best it can be, for the benefit of the learners and the whole community.
Mr James Sundram
Singapore
James Sundram is a multifaceted professional with a robust background as an investor, entrepreneur, and advisor to numerous start-ups. His career has been marked by a fervent dedication to fostering growth and solving real-life business challenges.
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In his corporate career, he served as Managing Director of Dow Jones, Asia; Group General Manager of SPH Magazines and most recently; Executive Director of Forbes APAC, where he demonstrated exceptional operational leadership overseeing business units spanning the United States, Europe, and key Asian markets.
A visionary in digital transformation, James also conceptualised and developed digital transformation strategies for Forbes Asia. Prior to this role, James was CEO of a Singapore publicly listed company and was also part of the founding team of PropertyGuru, a Singapore start-up which was recently listed on NASDAQ. Having studied and lived abroad, his cross-cultural understanding and negotiation skills serve well in cross-border business expansions.
The nature of his roles required him to live abroad in countries such as New York, Hong Kong, London and Australia. His experience with setting up and managing international operations exposed and enabled him to understand the different corporate cultures, behaviours and intricacies of operating domestically and incorporating local culture, a great strength of today’s business environment.
Remaining at the forefront of the corporate realm, James actively contributes as a board member to various traditional and digital businesses. His true value-add is helping them with market entry & business diversification, and expansion. To keep current with the times and changes, James is an adjunct trainer with Singapore Management University Academy and has helped design programs, manage courses and teach.
James Sundram’s wealth of experience, versatility, and unwavering commitment to growth make him an invaluable asset to Pelican Grammar School, enriching our vision for excellence and innovation in education.
Mr Alexandre Rosa Bruno Sarmento
TIMOR-LESTE
Alexandre Rosa Bruno Sarmento, is a distinguished professional with a rich and diverse background in the fields of policy advisory, consultancy, and community development. Currently serving as a Policy Adviser for the PARTISIPA program, funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of Australia, Alex brings a wealth of experience to the board. In this role, he spearheads policy initiatives aimed at strengthening village development and municipal administration, contributing significantly to the programme’s success.
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Alex’s expertise extends beyond policy advisory, as evidenced by his consultancy work with renowned organisations. From developing a White Paper on Local Contractor Development for the International Labour Organization (ILO) to conducting a Regulatory Framework Review supporting pre-school education with Grow International, he has showcased a commitment to driving positive change in various sectors.
His leadership and facilitation skills have been pivotal in community-based forestry assessments for Timor-Leste, commissioned by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). As the CEO of Fundação Carbon Offset Timor (FCOTI) since 2010, Alex has been a pioneer in carbon offset initiatives, emphasising sustainable development in Timor-Leste.
In addition to his current roles, Alex has an extensive history of contributing to the education sector. Serving as a Project Manager for the Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation (BEST) Project under the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport, and as a National Consultant for infrastructure planning, he has demonstrated a commitment to educational advancement.
Recognized for his outstanding contributions, Alex was honoured with the Sergio Vieira De Mello Human Rights Award in 2021. This prestigious award, presented by the previous President of The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Dr. Francisco Guterres Lú-Olo, acknowledges his dedication to human rights and community development.
In his role as a Board of Governor for Pelican Grammar School, Alex brings a unique blend of strategic vision, policy expertise, and a passion for education.
