Our Team
We are a highly experienced and innovative team.
Professor Ralph Tabberer CB
Owner and Chairman
Ralph Tabberer is an expert educator with more than 35 years experience in the school sector, in higher education and in government. He was Director General of Schools in England between 2006 and 2009, a post in which he was responsible to PM Tony Blair for the development and performance of 23,000 primary, secondary and special schools in the UK.
Shaun Robison
Chief Executive
Shaun Robison is an entrepreneurial, senior education leader who has delivered a range of projects in the Middle East. Shaun has worked with investors, operating companies, consultants, teachers and government regulators to plan, license and deliver start-up projects with large Cap-Ex requirements.
Silvia Contri
Chief Operating Officer
Our Chief Operating Officer, Silvia Contri, brings over 15 years of experience in the Middle East education sector to BBD Education. She has demonstrated operational excellence and strategic leadership in previous roles and is responsible for overseeing our day-to-day operations.
Jon Longdon
International Development Director
Jon Longdon leads on BBD’s global development. He brings to the team a vast amount of first-hand, in-depth experience in school operations and leadership. He is passionate about international education opportunities and the way that great schools can shape futures for children, communities and countries.
Susanne Graap
Chief Project Officer
A seasoned Chief Project Officer at BBD Education, Susanne Graap leverages over 25 years of experience to seamlessly execute projects. Her leadership and strategic direction ensure budget alignment, resource efficiency, and project success.
Trish Gregory
Head of School Improvement
Trish Gregory works as BBD’s Head of School Improvement. She has worked across multiple schools and nurseries within the UAE, leading them to exceptional inspection ratings, and demonstrable results.
Jo Dorrell
Director of Account Management
As BBD Education's Director of Account Management, Jo brings 15 years of specialised experience within the Education sector. She excels in client management and ensures customer satisfaction across diverse schools. Jo's experience spans roles in Recruitment, Operations, and Marketing and Admissions.
Lee Serridge
Director of Marketing
Lee Serridge, BBD's Director of Marketing, brings a wealth of experience in coordinating and executing highly successful marketing campaigns for schools. His expertise and proven track record in developing tailored marketing strategies has consistently delivered exceptional results.
Pam McNicol
Head of HR Strategy
Pam McNicol is a HR specialist at BBD, and has extensive experience of managing large scale complex change. She is a Master NLP practitioner and an approved teacher at Manchester Business School where she supervises students on the MBA programme.
Amit Kak
Head of Operations
Amit Kak is BBD’s Head of Operations and has a track record of delivering exceptional results in customer satisfaction and operational efficiencies. Amit has been leading on all estate services such as security, maintenance, cleaning, front of house services, parental satisfaction, and COVID protocols.
Rachel Issa
School Improvement Consultant
Rachel Issa is a senior educator and leader with significant experience in teaching, developing students, evaluating, designing curriculums, and setting standards and procedures in place. Rachael is Cambridge accredited English assessor and an International Baccalaureate certified teacher.
Sarah Pearce
Associate Consultant
Sarah Pearce is an experienced educator, leader and researcher, having taught and led in leading schools the UK, Malaysia, China, USA and UAE. Her leadership experience encompasses a range of areas, including staff development and mentoring, designing and embedding policies and procedures, curriculum design and implementation as well as the development of early and middle leaders.