The ISL Board is composed of eight to twelve members who are representatives of the community, who have shown commitment to the school, and/ or who possess skills that are critical to the Board. At ISL, the Board is the guardian of the School and constantly monitors its success in fulfilling its mission. The Board and School Director therefore work in partnership to ensure that all the necessary conditions are provided to fulfil the aims defined by the school, anticipate what the needs might be in the future, and redefine the school’s policies in accordance with those needs.
Silvan is Vice President of Finance & IT, International at Kelly Services. He is from the Netherlands and has one child enrolled at ISL.
Silvan Hoevenaars joined the Board in 2016. He holds a Masters degree in Business Economics from the Erasmus University Rotterdam and is Chartered Accountant. Prior to ISL, Silvan was Chairman of the School Council at the American International School of Cape Town. His experience in interacting with different cultures and languages allows him to appreciate the perspectives, values and traditions offered by ISL’s international community. Previous roles in the ISL Board include Transition Committee Chair and Treasurer.
Silvan Hoevenaars
Chair
Nakisa is General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer at Galderma. Nakisa has two children who graduated from ISL, in 2021 and in 2022. Nakisa has dual American and Swiss nationality.
Born in Chicago, Nakisa grew up, was educated and started her career as a lawyer in private practice in the US, before coming to Switzerland to obtain her MBA from IMD. She then spent a year working with the WHO before working in-house in the pharmaceutical industry. Nakisa has extensive experience working internationally and enjoys navigating the complexities of living and working in a multicultural and diverse environment. The powerful role that education plays in society and the importance of its evolution to match the needs of our students is a theme that Nakisa cares deeply about and is therefore committed to supporting the ISL Board in successfully fulfilling its mission.
Nakisa Serry
Vice chair
Matthew is Global Head of Financial Reporting and M&A Finance at Nestlé Health Science. His three children are enrolled in ISL’s secondary school.
Matthew is British by birth but grew up in Australia and New Zealand where he completed his studies in Business and Law at the University of Queensland and qualified as a Chartered Accountant working for KPMG. He moved to Switzerland more than 25 years ago, where he met his wife with whom he has moved around the world several times as Head of Finance of local Nestlé businesses in China, France and the USA. Currently, Matthew and his family are happily settled in Switzerland and plan to remain here.
Matthew Hutton
Treasurer
Tomoko is a researcher and advisor in digital transformations at the IMD Business School and ETH Zurich. She has one child enrolled at ISL.
Tomoko spent 20 years in the corporate world working in diverse industries such as education, chemicals, material sciences and software. Along the way she also founded a tech startup. Now as a researcher in technology and innovation, she analyses and advises organisations on digital transformation and innovation initiatives. Having initially trained in foreign affairs and international development (Japan and the US), which she coupled with an MBA(Switzerland), she believes in the value of a holistic education, diverse experiences, and creative problem-solving- all of which the ISL education encourages.
Tomoko Yokoi
Secretary
Mayka is Vice President of Human Resources EMEA at ADM International. She is from the Netherlands and has two sons enrolled at ISL.
Mayka van Acht joined the Board in 2023. She holds a Masters degree in Human Resource Management from the Tilburg University in the Netherlands. Her international work environment has offered her many opportunities to work with people from very diverse backgrounds. She is passionate about Leadership Development as well as strategies that promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She appreciates the strong academic reputation of ISL and values offered by ISL’s international community
Mayka van Acht
Gayatri is a Principal in the Merchant Banking Division of Rothschild & Co. She is a British citizen and an alumna of ISL.
Gayatri was born in Switzerland to Indian parents and subsequently enjoyed an international upbringing and education in Hong Kong, Turkey, China, and Switzerland again where Gayatri graduated from ISL in 2010. Gayatri went on to study Economics at New York University before joining Goldman Sachs in New York in 2014 and transferring to London in 2015. In 2019 Gayatri took on a new role at Rothschild & Co where she currently works as a Principal in the Merchant Banking Division focusing on credit investments, covering the education sector amongst others. Gayatri also sits on the European Leveraged Finance Association’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and is a member of the Rothschild & Co Women’s Network. Gayatri is a new mother to a son born in 2022.
Gayatri Bahadur
Mike is the Senior Vice President/ General Manager EMEA at Helen of Troy. He currently has his five children enrolled at ISL.
Mike is American from St. Louis married to Marta Saez de Heredia from San Sebastian Spain. After graduating from DePauw University, Mike began his career with Nestle Purina Petcare in Sales in the USA. In 1999, he moved to Barcelona, Spain with Nestle Purina beginning his international journey that saw him holding different Sales, Marketing and ultimately General Management positions located in Dublin, London, Lausanne, and Copenhagen. After 20 years with Nestle Purina, in 2016, Mike and the Burke clan moved back to Lausanne with Helen of Troy, with the opportunity for the children once again to attend ISL, a driving force in the decision.
Mike Burke
Paolo is General Manager for Cross Border Trade and Global Buying Hub at eBay. He is italian and has recently moved to Lausanne from London with his wife and 3 children, all enrolled at ISL.
Paolo joined the Board in 2023. He holds an Engineering degree from Politecnico di Torino and an MBA from IESE Business School. Prior to ISL, Paolo has been a Board member for eBay and Shutl in UK. His international experience coupled with his personal engagement in few communities of inclusion allow him to appreciate the values of ISL’s community.
Paolo Levoni
Anand is the Shell Professor of Global Leadership at IMD. He is British and Indian and has one child enrolled at ISL.
Anand is Dean of Faculty and Research and Shell Professor of Global Leadership at IMD. Anand’s research and teaching focuses on organizational transformation and board dynamics. He previously served on the faculty of London Business and Imperial College.
Anand Narasimhan
Onika is an attorney with a background in policy development, governance, and strategic planning. She is from the United States and has three children, two of whom attend ISL.
Originally from New York City, Onika graduated from Duke University with a degree in international relations. She began her career in the food and wine industry, specializing in the marketing and sales of French and Italian wines. After a decade in hospitality, Onika obtained a juris doctorate from the American University Washington College of Law and began a second career in management consulting. Working for Booz Allen Hamilton, she advised the US government on policy, governance, and strategic planning in cybersecurity and diversity and inclusion. Currently, she is a member of the New York State Bar Association. When her family relocated to Switzerland in 2017, Onika began dedicating more of her time to supporting her three children and the ISL community.
Onika Williams Herman
Governance Information
More information about the Board and its role