Stella Zhou
Master of Huili Shanghai
Stella Zhou graduated from East China Normal University with a bachelor’s degree in Chinese language and literature and a master’s degree in education. Since then, she has gained nearly 20 years’ experience of teaching and management in international and bilingual schools.
As the founding principal of Huili School Shanghai, Stella, together with other Chinese and international educators and experts, designed the school’s bilingual curriculum and recruited a team of dedicated teachers. She has led this team tirelessly to develop the best possible bilingual curriculum for Chinese pupils.
Stella is a passionate educator who fully believes in the Huili philosophy of holistic education. She hopes to bring all her experience to Huili and is keen to make it a world-class bilingual school.
Stella understands the importance of implementing a flexible education that focuses on pupils' long-term benefits without losing sight of more immediate concerns. This means empowering our pupils to live a meaningful life while taking the initiative to represent China on the world stage.
Charlotte Knight-Benjafield
Executive Head of Early Years
Charlotte is an experienced Early Years teacher and Head of Early Years. She holds a BA(Hons) degree in Geography from the University of Oxford. She completed her PGCE(with QTS) specialising in Early Years at Oxford Brookes University and went on to gain vast experience in outstanding schools in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, UK. During her time in the UK she was actively involved in Oxfordshire Moderation teams in addition to mentoring a number of successful PGCE students.
Charlotte has been teaching internationally for a number of years. She began her international journey as Head of Early Years, at a leading international school in Beijing where she led the Early Years to produce outstanding academic results. During this time, she also developed a successful Parent Partnership Program (PPP) which has gone from strength to strength. It was on this journey that Charlotte discovered her passion for growing effective teaching teams.
Charlotte says ‘Creating the right culture and environment for our talented teachers to thrive is ultimately the best way to support our young learners. If our teachers are well supported and informed then their genuine passion for learning will shine through. This passion serves to inspire our children to be curious, independent thinkers and learners.’
Charlotte says her most important role is being a mother. She has four children; three children join her and her husband in Shanghai, whilst her oldest daughter studies at University of Bristol, UK. Charlotte says ‘I think being a mother allows me to connect with our Huili parents in a meaningful way. I understand their concerns, worries and questions. I am here to understand and support our families on this most important educational journey.’
With a large family, Charlotte does not have much spare time on her hands! When she has a moment free, she loves to walk her two little dogs, Echo and Bagel. She also enjoys reading biographies.
Yuki Gong
Deputy Head of Early Years
Yuki graduated from Fudan University with a bachelor’s degree in law. She also gained a master’s degree in education. Yuki became involved in early childhood education after graduation, and she has gained nearly 20 years’experience of teaching, management, and a solid knowledge of Eastern and Western education philosophies in international and bilingual nurseries. As a founding leader at Huili Nursery Shanghai, she uses her expertise to provide personalised and holistic education for every pupil.
Her experience in leadership has enabled her to create a safe, fun and supportive learning environment where the awareness of responsibility and autonomy is encouraged among teachers and pupils. She believes that building mutual trust and respect between pupils, parents and colleagues is at the heart of an inspiring early childhood education. Only by promoting exploration, active learning, creativity and critical thinking can we support our children to grow up to become effective learners.
Lydia Lim
Bursar
Before joining us, Lydia Lim spent four years in the same capacity in Beijing City International School, which accommodates both foreign and Chinese pupils. Lydia also has extensive experience in the accounting industry, where she was attached to several international firms, including Arthur Andersen and KPMG. During this time, she led various financial projects in real estate, resorts and service related industries, assurance and advisory business for multi-national organisations and public listed companies. She is a chartered accountant, a fellow member of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA), an experienced member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants and the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She also completed an MBA from Oxford Brookes University.
Jingwen Chen
Assistant Head of Early Years
Jingwen was born and raised in Shanghai. She has more than 13 years’ experience teaching early years in both bilingual and international schools. Jingwen received her first degree from Shanghai Normal University in the field of education, then continued her studies at East China Normal University, receiving a bachelor degree in business management. After graduating from university, Jingwen began her career teaching in a local kindergarten and became very familiar with the Chinese local early years’ curriculum. She then went on to teach in a number of international and bilingual kindergartens and schools in Shanghai. Her work experiences helped her to better understand Western culture and to see the differences between the Western and Chinese cultures.Jingwen looks at ways to combine these two cultures when leading curriculum planning. Just prior to joining Huili Nursery Shanghai, Jingwen worked at East China Normal University Affiliated Bilingual School Early Years as the early years’ Curriculum Co-ordinator, Lead Class Teacher and Acting Principal. During this time, she also finished her Principal course work and training, receiving her Principal Certification. Outside of the classroom, Jingwen enjoys travelling and experiencing different cultures.
Angela Gu
Chinese Curriculum Coordinator/Librarian
Angela obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Pedagogy from Shanghai Normal University. Having studied and taught Early Years in both local and international schools since 1997, Angela has extensive experience in this field. She spent 10 years as a co-teacher at Dulwich International School, where she developed a talent for integrating Chinese and international students and creating a positive and inspiring learning environment. She joined Huili Nursery in 2019 as a teacher and EY1 team lead. Angela enjoys working closely with pupils, parents and staff, and has a desire to contribute to the Huili Nursery community. Angela has a teenage daughter that keeps her busy. They enjoy travelling together and learning about new cultures. Angela also enjoys reading and online shopping. She especially loves to buy homeware and crockery.
Rob Spillane
English Curriculum Coordinator/Librarian
Rob was a singing and drama teacher for nine years whilst simultaneously studying drama at university. It was then that he began to pursue a career in Early Years education. He studied a post-graduate course in Early Years teaching before attaining his PGCE from the University of Leeds.
He has taught children of all ages, and this has helped him develop his knowledge of how to get children engaged in learning and develop a passion for education. Having previously worked at Huili Nursery Hangzhou for four years, where he was head of EY3 for two years and then head of EY2 and EY1, he has comprehensive experience of how different children learn. He has developed his knowledge of bilingual education and is looking forward to supporting children to learn English and Chinese in fun and engaging ways. Rob believes that children can develop a fundamental enjoyment of school and learning and that if thinks children do not enjoy school, they cannot reach their full potential. This puts PSED and wellbeing at the heart of everything he does.
Having lived in Hangzhou for the last four years, Rob is preparing himself for a busier and faster pace of life in Shanghai and is looking forward to being part of everything the city has to offer. He is a proud Yorkshireman and loves to be in and around quietness and nature, just like home. When he is not enjoying parks and forests, he loves music and theatre.
Emily Lee
EY1 Classroom Teacher
Emily joined Huili Nursery in 2019. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree, majoring in Biology. In 2015, she arrived in Shanghai and became interested in education. She then obtained her TESOL certification in 2016 and began teaching in bilingual kindergartens here. Before long, Emily obtained MACAR (Montessori Applied to Children At Risk) certification in 2017 and PGCE with the Institute of Learning, Wellington College China in 2020. Emily feels fortunate to be apart of a nursery that focuses on practices of Characteristics of Effective Learning, the collaboration between teachers, wellbeing and involvement of children. In her free time, Emily enjoys reading and spending time with her husband, two children, their 19-year-old cat named Uma and their two-year-old dog named Molly.
Jean Jin
EY1 Classroom Teacher
A founding member of Huili Nursery Shanghai, Jean Jin has worked in bilingual and international kindergartens and language learning institutions in Korea, Hong Kong and Shanghai since 2012. Her experiences working abroad have instilled in her a strong interest in working with bilingual children. When offered the opportunity to work at Huili Nursery in 2016, she was ecstatic and has been with the nursery ever since. In 2012, she entered the ‘Misulo’ internship in Korea and Hong Kong. Following this, she continued her studies in Chinese Linguistic Literature at Fudan University. To build up her experience working with children, she obtained a primary school English teacher qualification and kindergarten teacher qualification. When Jean is not busy with the children at Huili Nursery, she enjoys watching movies, reading and doing volunteer work, which in the past has included the 2010 Shanghai Expo and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Johanna Van Wyk
EY1 Classroom Teacher
Ms Jani Van Wyk has a degree in Human Science (Psychology). She also has PGCE in Early Years Education and a master's degree in Special and Inclusive Education. Ms Jani has been teaching for nine years. She has been in China for eight years and will soon be starting her ninth year in China. She loves photography and enjoys travelling. She also enjoys scuba diving and reading as many books as she can to get her hands on. Ms Jani really enjoys being a teacher to young children. She would like to continue to work with children in the future and is hoping to complete her postgraduate degree in Educational Psychology to better support young learners in their school and home environments.
Yenny Li
EY1 Classroom Teacher
Yenny, Bachelor of Economics, registered teacher of Chinese dancers’ association, joined Huili Family in 2020. During university period, she had participated the aid and the education project in Sri Lanka. That experience has made her realise the significance of Child Education, and she feels satisfied to put her sense of self-worth in teaching children. After graduation, Yenny has joined Wellington Shanghai Family, in which she harvested more than two years’ experience in curriculum management and bilingual teaching across Wellington and Huili campuses. After joined Huili Nursery, Yenny had taken the role of music assistant and librarian teacher. As a teacher, she prefers to view children as “friends waited to explore”. She believes that every child has his or her own unique creativity, thus what she needs to do is to discover, respect, encourage and accompany. On the journey of learning and self-discovery, the teacher would also go further with the children.
Apart from teaching, Yenny loves dance ardently. She had ever won championship and the first runner-up in national dancing competitions. Nearly 10 years of dancing and stage performance experience has given Yenny confidence in teaching music and dance. Meanwhile, she would like to combine her interests and specialities with teaching, offering diverse and interesting activities for the children.
Nina Schatz
EY1 Classroom Teacher
Ms Nina Schatz has a PhD in Chemistry. During her spare time, she likes cooking, playing Lego and swimming. She has two boys, aged three and five. She is eager to learn more Chinese and embraces a growth mindset and a positive attitude towards lifelong learning.
Vivian He
EY2 Classroom Teacher
Vivian grew up in Shanghai and has more than 17 years’ experience teaching in international schools in Shanghai. She holds a degree in primary education from East China Normal University and is a published author. As a teacher, she has always aimed for excellence by harnessing her natural ability to motivate and inspire others, inject warmth into her teaching practice and create harmonious, challenging and rewarding environments for children. She has found that children achieve greater success in learning when activities are delivered in highly creative ways. She also believes that children have the ability to learn everything through play, and therefore provides her pupils with a variety of materials and resources to support their play. Vivian also holds the responsibility of being team lead for EY2. Outside the classroom, Vivian loves travelling and experiencing new cultures with her family and spending time with her cat, Dai Dai.
Hannah Zhang
EY2 Classroom Teacher
Hannah Zhang was born and raised in Lingbi, Anhui Province. Hannah has lived in Shanghai for 18 years. After attending university she went on to teach, with over 13 years’ experience working in a British international school in Shanghai. She is a founding teacher at Huili Nursery Shanghai. She believes that every child is uniquely different and that each child’s experience in the early years is very important. A secure, safe and happy childhood provides the foundation for children to make the most of their abilities and talents. Learning should be carefully scaffolded, with an emphasis on activities that are fun, relevant and motivating for all pupils. When she is not teaching, Hannah loves cooking and enjoys gardening, reading and listening to music.
Michael Caddy
EY2 Classroom Teacher
Michael began teaching in 2012 after graduating from the University of Manchester, UK. Having spent his formative years growing up in Singapore, he had a love for all things Asia and decided to take the plunge and move to Beijing, where he spent a year teaching. In 2013, he relocated to Shanghai and has not looked back since. Michael has taught at several early years institutions and kindergartens across the city and has gained valuable experience in various teaching methods, from the PYP program to Montessori-style learning. Michael completed his teaching degree last year in 2019 and continues to pursue valuable learning opportunities to improve his teaching pedagogy. Outside of nursery life, Michael enjoys spending time outdoors, cycling and travelling. He is also passionate about electronic music and yoga and enjoys organising events in his spare time.
Emily Gu
EY2 Classroom Teacher
Emily graduated from East China Normal University. She also obtained a bilingual teaching certificate from Goldsmiths, University of London. Emily worked in international schools for several years before joining Huili Nursery four years ago. She is experienced in teaching British curriculum framework EYFS and is adept at combining the Chinese and Western educational ethos in her teaching. She is rigorous yet patient with her pupils and aims to create a safe and caring environment and maintaining an open line of communication with parents. Emily is outgoing and loves life. She likes travelling with family and friends to explore magnificent natural scenery and different cultures.
Sarah Peel
EY2 Classroom Teacher
Hailing from Canada, Sarah Peel is an early years music specialist and classroom teacher. Sarah earned her Bachelor of Arts at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada. She also holds a Professional Certificate in Teaching in Early Childhood Settings from the University of California – Riverside. Sarah began her teaching career as a member of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme. After moving to Beijing in 2006, she established China’s first Kindermusik studio. In 2012, she transitioned back to the classroom full time. She has worked in both international and bilingual nursery settings and joined Huili Nursery Shanghai in 2016. A keen cook and baker, Sarah enjoys trying new recipes and exploring flavours inspired by her travels. She also practices yoga, makes music with friends, and occasionally performs as a vocalist at local venues. She is also a regular volunteer with Shanghai Mamas, a not-for-profit community organization that supports international families living in Shanghai.
Emma Wang
EY2 Classroom Teacher
Being awarded Shanghai Excellent Graduate of the Year, Emma graduated from East China Normal University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Preschool Education. Since then, she has been teaching in Early Years. In her previous role, she had an opportunity to get involved in developing a textbook as part of The Twelfth Five-Year Plan series textbooks for National Pre-school Education. This book, namely The Professional Ethics of Nursery Teachers, later won the prize of High Quality Textbooks developed by universities based in Shanghai. While working with children, Emma focuses on helping them build good habits from an early age because it has a more important and lasting impact on children than any cognitive skills. She believes that children are more likely to be influenced by parents than by the education they receive at nursery, therefore she strives to engage parents as partners in each child’s learning journey. Emma has always been interested in all kinds of musical instruments. She likes going outdoors to enjoy the natural world and spending time with her children, making sweet and happy memories.
Cory Morales
EY2 Classroom Teacher
After graduating with a degree in psychology, Cory began to work in the field of education, interning as a behaviour analyst for primary-age children and working as an educational advisor for young adults. To further challenge himself, Cory moved to Shanghai in 2017 and began working in an international pre-school setting. Working with children in the EY2, EY3 and EY4 age groups for the past five years, he has gained valuable experience in implementing various teaching methods. He also served as the foreign campus director at his last school and has experience preparing pupils for the rigours of primary school. Cory also possesses a teaching certificate and is passionate about empowering his pupils to be daring and confident both in and out of the classroom. Outside of the classroom, he enjoys being on the pitch playing football or American football with his friends, producing music and playing instruments.
Paula Zimmerman
EY3 Classroom Teacher
Shortly after obtaining a Law degree at the University of Stellenbosch, Paula pivoted to teaching, where she found her true vocation. She has over six years’ experience teaching in Bangkok, Hong Kong and Shanghai, where she has lived and worked for the last four years. Her experience has been centred around early years, having worked exclusively in bilingual kindergartens, preschools and nurseries. Paula earned her Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with distinction, from the University of Durham, where her research papers explored creativity and assessing for wellbeing and involvement in early years education. She plans to continue her studies with a Master’s degree in education in the near future. Outside of school, Paula’s interests include cooking and reading. She is also passionate about her rescue cat and her recently adopted dog.
Elaine Barker
EY3 Classroom Teacher
Elaine started her teaching career after completing an undergraduate degree in Education (BA Hons) in 2012. She taught in Seoul, South Korea for a year before moving to Shanghai. After one year of teaching nursery in Shanghai, Elaine then returned to the UK to complete her PGCE and NQT induction years. After a further year working for a UK children’s charity, Elaine then decided to return to Shanghai because she missed the liveliness of living and teaching overseas. She believes in a holistic approach to children’s education and hopes to inspire her students in the way that her teachers inspired her. When Elaine is not teaching, she loves playing badminton and keeping active.
Sarah Zhang
EY3 Classroom Teacher
Sarah graduated from East China Normal University majoring in Language Education. She holds a certificate of Early Years Education, a TCSL certificate and a Senior Interpreter certificate. She is particularly interested in language development in early years. Sarah has gained a wealth of experience working in international schools for five years teaching early years and grade 1. This is her fourth year at Huili Nursery. She is particularly interested in improving children’s attention and bilingual speaking abilities using methods such as picture talking and story talking. When not teaching, Sarah enjoys travelling with her daughter and son.
Flora Lu
EY3 Classroom Teacher
Ms Flora Lu graduated from East China Normal University with a BA in Preschool Education. While in university, she was fortunate to be selected to serve in the Chinese Air Force for two years. Her military service had a profound influence on her and led her to teaching children. In her work, she applies all the excellent qualities developed through her military training, to her pedagogy. She supports the children in her class to become more independent, brave, kind and warm-hearted. She loves to take her children into the natural environment to observe the change of seasons, plants and animals.
Ms Flora is cheerful and lively. She values the communication with parents and would like to create a caring and happy learning environment for children. In her spare time, she likes going out with her family, read children's picture books and educational books. She believes that teachers and children grow and progress together.
Mary Crowley
EY3 Classroom Teacher
Ms Mary Crowley has a BA in English and Psychology; an MA in American Literature and Film; and a PGCE. She is currently studying for her master's degree in Education. Although she lives in one of the biggest cities in the world now, she grew up in the beautiful countryside of Ireland and has lived in China for 6 years. Similar to Huili pupils, she had a semi-bilingual experience in Primary school, so she truly understands this experience. As a teacher, she aspires to provide a safe environment for her pupils to thrive and achieve their best. Ms Mary likes reading, yoga, traveling and cooking the food she learns about when she travels.
Linda Dai
EY3 Classroom Teacher
Ms Linda Dai is a graduate of the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, where she majored in English. Her experience as an exchange student in Australia during her university years has sparked in her an interest in different cultural approaches and education systems. This is her fifth year working in the education industry. She enjoys spending time and exploring with children. As a new mother she has new perspectives on educating young children. She believes in an education that allows children to fully use their minds and imaginations and to learn through independent exploration.
Monica Xu
EY3 Classroom Teacher
Monica completed her Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood degree at East China Normal University. During that time, she gained excellent academic performance and exchange student experience in the US and Canada while also earning National Scholarship and Shanghai Outstanding Graduates awards. She then pursued her master’s degree in teaching at the University of Melbourne, furthering her study in early childhood education in diverse cultural backgrounds. After graduation, she worked as an Early Years teacher and educational leader at a government-owned centre in Melbourne, helping it to exceeding national quality standards. She was also invited by the Melbourne Graduate School of Education to be a clinical teaching specialist and teach in their master’s programme. She is also a registered mentor with the Victorian Institute of Teaching, helping new teachers to gain professional knowledge and experience as they transition from provisional to full teacher registration.
Shen then returned to China and worked at Huili Nursery Hangzhou, teaching and leading the EY3 year group. As the year group lead and a member of the Middle Leadership Team, she facilitated a collaborative culture, promoted project-based learning approach, built strong connections with parents and supported each teacher in moving forward in their own teaching career.
Komal Patel
EY4 Classroom Teacher
Ms Komal Patel holds a BA degree in Sociology Early Childhood Studies and has a PGCE. She spent ten years working and learning with very young children and enjoys discovering new things, learning alongside her pupils on their own individual educational journeys. She moved to China two years ago.
Ms Komal is always willing to learn new skills and is eager to learn photography. Her hobbies include hiking, exploring new places, socialising with friends and she loves to discover good coffee shops. In her spare time she likes to practice and teach yoga.
Katie Ware
EY4 Classroom Teacher
Katie joins us from England, where she obtained her BA in History and English from the University of Derby and her PGCE from the University of Nottingham. She is also qualified as a Taekwon-Do instructor and a certified rugby coach. Katie aims to keep developing her growing range of abilities and qualifications, beginning with working towards achieving her QTS with the University of Durham this year. Katie has taught for five years in China. This is her second year teaching at Huili Nursery. In her free time, Katie is the captain of Shanghai Rugby Football Club’s ladies team and coaches the youth squad. She also enjoys playing netball and spending time in the gym.
Jenny Xu
EY4 Classroom Teacher
Jenny Xu, is a Shanghai native. Jenny graduated from East China Normal University, where she studied Preschool Education. Her love of English and American literature drove her to minor in English and she passed both the Test for English Majors and Interpretation Test, making her uniquely qualified to teach in a bilingual setting. After graduation, Jenny worked in an international school. Her art skills enabled her to support pupils' participation in the International Children’s Art Exhibition. In her eight years of teaching, she has developed her own unique style that motivates pupils to explore knowledge through play, open-ended questions, performing stories, etc. She always encourages pupils to try different activities, treating them with kindness and patience. Her relationship with pupils is equal, collaborative and harmonious. In her free time, Jenny enjoys painting, photography and reading.
Jennifer Jacques
EY4 Classroom Teacher
Jennifer started her teaching career in 2011 here in Shanghai. Having taught for six years within both bilingual and international schools, she returned to England to pursue professional development opportunities and eventually returned once more to Shanghai, the city she loves. Jennifer has a wealth experience in teaching young children in a range of schools and settings, including nurseries and primary schools. Jennifer’s passion for adventure, travel and exploring different cultures is what brings her to Asia. Some of her previous travels have included diving the Komodo Islands, multi-day hiking, Tour de Mont Blanc and scrambling in Scotland’s Cuillin Mountains.
Gillian Zhu
EY4 Classroom Teacher
Miss Gillian Zhu has a bachelor's degree. This is her tenth year in education. She enjoys music and can play some instruments. She is adept at combining musical elements into her teaching and believes that good communication and co-operation will help to create a happy and inspiring learning environment for children. In her spare time, she enjoys playing and listening to music, reading and sports.
Sherry Tang
EY4 Classroom Teacher
Ms Sherry Tang has been engaged in Early Years education for more than seven years and recognises the importance of establishing a good rapport with pupils. She taught in Singapore for four years, participated in the small treasure program of the Singapore Heritage Bureau and was responsible for the dissemination of the traditional culture of the four ethnic groups. Subsequently she taught in Shanghai-based bilingual schools.
Sherry believes that every pupil is unique and also believes in providing a balanced, supportive and engaging environment for pupils. Outside of teaching, she enjoys music, dance and travel.
Delon Smith
EY4 Classroom Teacher
Delon graduated cum laude from St. John’s University with a bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate. Before coming to China, Delon worked directly with students and families for positive academic outcomes and to promote literacy. He also worked as a field researcher and gathered data in schools in two cities for a study that was commissioned by the US department of education. After coming to China, Delon worked as a kindergarten ESL teacher and eventually became a homeroom teacher. His previous posting was at a well-known bilingual school with a sterling reputation.
Delon believes that the Early Years are pivotal because they lay the foundation for a child’s academic future. In the classroom, he works to help all of his pupils develop academically, socially and emotionally. He is a passionate educator who prefers to teach by being a great role model.
Shirley Xiao
EY4 Classroom Teacher
Shirley graduated from the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) with a postgraduate degree and has been specialising in preschool education since her undergraduate studies. During her school years, she was awarded several school scholarships and a national scholarship.
She obtained her master's degree in education in 2015 and joined a bilingual kindergarten in Shanghai in the same year. In the past six years, she has trained two classes of graduates that were highly respected and recognised by parents. She joined Huili Nursery in 2021.
In her spare time, Shirley enjoys planning her own travels and recording her daily life through photography.
Inês Oliveira
Physical Play Teacher
Inês discovered that she had a passion for teaching and coaching at age 15 when she was teaching volleyball and dance to younger children. She also dedicated most of her childhood and teenage years to playing this team sport. She then graduated from University of Coimbra, in Portugal with a degree in Sports – Physical Conditioning and began working as a personal trainer and group class teacher. Her career has taken her from her home country of Portugal to England, where she managed a health club. It was her dream to become a teacher, so moved to China in 2016 and completed the teacher training through Institute of Learning and Durham University. She has been enthusiastically teaching Physical Education since then. In her spare time, Ines loves to dance, go to the gym, play volleyball and she travels around the world at every available opportunity. She has been to more than 25 countries and loves to learn about different cultures.
Scotty Wang
Music Teacher
Scotty gained his degree in pop music performance in 2015 from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He then went on to study early childhood education at New Zealand Tertiary College and became a registered teacher in 2017. He joined Huili Nursery Shanghai in 2021 with teaching music as his main role.
Scotty loves to play music not only at work but also in his life. He is a lead singer, songwriter and guitarist in a Shanghai-based band featuring members from several different countries. He also likes to play football and is currently playing for our Huili Football Club formed by parents and other staff. He loves to share all of his interests and experiences with children and people around him.
Joy Qiao
Founder and Chairman
Ms Joy Qiao is the founder and Chair of Governors of Huili Education and Wellington College China. She has been devoted to international education in China for many years and is committed to fostering exchanges and partnerships with Britain. Having grown up in Shanghai, Ms Joy Qiao attended the University of Oxford from which she holds a BA in Computer Science. She then worked in the IT industry for a decade in a variety of sales and marketing roles in the UK, Germany and China. Becoming a mother motivated her interest in education and inspired her advance into the international education sector. She has extensive experience in multi-lingual communication and cross-cultural co-operation and is a critical bridge for bringing together the multiple partners involved in setting up Wellington College in China. Ms Joy Qiao also holds an EMBA degree from the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) and is fluent in Mandarin, English and Shanghainese. She is married with two children, both of whom are attending Wellington College International Shanghai.
Jacky Ni Rui Ming
Member
Jacky Ni is the Headmaster of Shanghai Pudong High School, with over 20 years of school leadership experience across six schools. He graduated from Shanghai Normal University and began his teaching career at Shanghai Jianping High School and progress his career there. In July 1996, Jacky took up his first headship position. He studied part-time at East China Normal University and the National Training Centre for Secondary School Principals by Ministry of Education. In order to extend his professional learning beyond the education sector, Jacky also studied EMBA courses at Fudan University, the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) and Freeman Business School, Tulane University. In 2004, he took part in a Leadership program sponsored by the British Council and Shanghai Education Commission and in 2006 led Hualin Middle School successfully through an inspection by 2 HMIs. Between 2006 and 2007, Jack completed a Leadership and Self Inspection programme at the Institute of Education, London University and he also attained a Master’s Degree in Education from Towson University, USA. Jacky has undertaken more than ten research projects at national, municipal and district levels for which he has been awarded two National First Prizes and numerous other prizes. Throughout his career, Jacky’s leadership has been recognised with a wide range of honours, including the award of Excellent Teacher and Excellent Master by Shanghai Education Commission. He has also been bestowed the ‘Prominent Master Development Project’ in Shanghai and requested to deliver Advanced Master Workshop Training for High Schools nationwide organised by the Ministry of Education. Furthermore, Jacky has been invited to deliver lectures by The British Council and a wide range of universities. Jacky is motivated by finding ways to effectively integrate western and eastern education, to link the traditional and current educational approaches and is fully committed to continuous school improvement. Born in Shanghai, Jacky is married and has one child. He enjoys travelling.
Echo Jin
Member
Echo Jin is the Chief Financial Officer of Greater China Region at Microsoft. As a member of the Greater China leadership team, Echo assists Microsoft's CEO in driving the company’s long-term planning and strategic development in the region, and empower Microsoft’s customers to maximize business value more rapidly and efficiently. Before joining Microsoft, Echo was President of HPE China, overseeing the overall management and providing management support for HPE's joint ventures in China.
Echo has held numerous financial positions in many global enterprises. With her rich experience in financial and business management, she provides strategic guidance through market data analysis and business insights, helping enterprises to maximize their benefits in major transactions.
Echo holds a bachelor’s degree in international economic law from China University of Political Science and Law, and an MBA from the University of Maryland.
Justin Koh
Member
Mr Koh works as Senior Vice President of AlixPartners, a global consulting firm. His focus is in the consumer, retail and private equity space, where he leads engagements in market entry strategy, retail operations and commercial/operational due diligences. He has over 12 years of consulting experience mainly in China and Southeast Asia.
Previously he was part of L.E.K. Consulting and the lead for its Global Education Practice in China. He worked on projects that supported strategy and investment decisions for clients across all sub-sectors of education globally, with a particular focus in China and Southeast Asia.
Justin graduated from Singapore Management University with an honours degree in Finance. He is a Singaporean national and has resided with his family in Shanghai since 2011.
Helen Zhang
Member
Helen is a qualified Chinese CPA and started her career as an auditor with PwC Shanghai. Her six years of audit experience provided her with sound accounting, tax and auditing technical knowledge and practical skills and extensive experience in internal controls under the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Helen subsequently joined Johnson Controls in Shanghai where she took on diverse roles with enhanced business and management responsibilities including the Regional Lead Auditor of Asia Pacific, the Finance Controller of Power Solution Asia Headquarter and the Controller of Supply Chain Management. Helen got her Bachelor’s degree from Fudan University with the major in International Finance. She loves traditional Chinese culture including Chinese characters (Han Zi) and Book of Songs (Shi Jing). She also enjoys travelling, reading, cooking and baking. Helen is married and has two children.