Meet Our Senior Leadership Team Combining expertise and experience to work together for a bright future

Mark Rendell

CEO

Mark started in the role of CEO in January 2019 and has been involved in the ELT industry for over 25 years. He was a teacher and Director of Studies in Poland, Saudi Arabia and China. Previously, a Principal at a large language school in central London, Mark is now Chair of English UK and a trustee and director of the International House World Organisation (IHWO).

Lawrence Jackson

Director of Sales and Marketing

Lawrence has over 15 years’ experience in sales, with over 7 years spent in sales for top language schools. In addition to English, he can speak German, and says “working with a diverse range of cultures ensures I’m learning something new on a day-to-day basis.” Lawrence adds, “IH London has been voted London’s no1 school for value and quality. So if you’re looking for a premium course at a reasonable price then IH London should be your first choice.”

Caroline Turner

Director of Operations

Caroline’s passion for education has driven her career at IH London for over 13 years. She has held diverse roles within the organization and is now serving as the Interim Director of Operations on the Senior Leadership Team. Caroline is a DELTA qualified Teacher and Trainer with extensive experience in Academic Management. In her current role, she oversees IH London’s academic departments, providing guidance and direction to our skilled managers and teachers to ensure the delivery of high-quality teaching and learning.

Jason White

Director of Examinations

Jason has worked in education for over 25 years in secondary schools and private language schools, in both teaching and management and leadership roles both in the UK and in Germany. He is a keen linguist and speaks German, French and Italian. Jason rejoined IHL in Nov 2022 as Director of Exams having previously worked as Interim Director of Education. Jason and the exams team are responsible for building relationships with exam boards and ensuring an excellent candidate exam experience across all of our venues in UK, Ireland, Israel and Nigeria.

Arif Kaji

Director of Finance

Arif Kaji manages the Finance and Information Technology and Transformation departments. Arif is a qualified accountant and a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). 

Arif is a result driven and commercially focused senior finance executive with over 20 years’ experience from a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, engineering, financial services, automobile and the charity sector. Arif has extensive experience in financial control and reporting, budgeting, forecasting, financial modelling and analysis, business planning, financial strategy, compliance, continuous business process improvement, and delivering sustainable business growth. 

Arif served with the Chartered Institute of Environment Health (CIEH) for many years before joining a steel manufacturing business as Chief Strategy Officer, based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Most recently, Arif was Finance Director for a humanitarian charity in the UK. 

Didem Altinok

Director of People and Culture

Didem joined IHL in 2023 bringing strong operational and strategic HR experience from a broad range of industries including education, security, and architecture . She has a comprehensive background on HR Management, employee relations, employee engagement, M&A and talent management. She completed her Occupational Psychology MSc in the University of Nottingham and is a Chartered Member of CIPD. 

 

Didem sees herself as a strategic business partner focusing on creating a high performing and engaged workforce while fostering an inclusive culture. She is passionate about education and looking forward to contributing to IHL’s mission and transformation journey to empower people to reach their full potential.

Manuel Benchetrit

Director of Young Learners

Manuel joined IHL in February 2024 and brings robust operational and strategic expertise from diverse environments, including the public and private sectors, cultural diplomacy, and education, as well as experience with young learners during summer programs. Manuel’s background encompasses curriculum design and language school leadership in various global contexts such as England, France, Sudan, Mexico or Oman. Manuel holds a master’s degree in foreign Language Education from la Sorbonne Nouvelle and is trained in business administration. 

As a strategic member of the senior team, Manuel is dedicated to enhancing operational excellence and crafting pivotal strategic initiatives for the future of young learners at International House. His commitment extends to fostering an inclusive and thoughtful organizational culture. Passionate about education, Manuel aims to create memorable well-rounded learning experiences for young individuals, enabling them to seize optimal opportunities in our rapidly evolving world. 

He eagerly looks forward to contributing to IHL’s transformative journey, uniting people and empowering them to reach their fullest potential.