Phil Huggon

Chair of the Board

Phil has a lifelong passion for language and cultures. He studied French and Latin at Oriel College, Oxford. He has lived in Paris, Lisbon and Brussels – qualifying as a professional bilingual tour guide in Paris. Phil travelled extensively in his executive career with BP, MARS and Shell. He has over 20 years’ experience in marketing, customer service and transformation, and led Shell UK’s biggest ever change programme. He now has a portfolio of non-executive and trustee roles, including chairing a Further Education consultancy and an NHS consultancy, and he is Vice-Chair of Healthwatch England. Phil lives in Manchester with his wife and 3 children (all 5 of them are linguists, of course!). 

Dr Isabel DiVanna

Vice-Chair of the Board & Chair of the Finance & General Purposes Committee

Isabel is a Director-level strategist and business development professional. She is currently the Director of Business Development and Partnerships at Engineering UK, having previously held the post of Commercial Director at RenewableUK, at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and at the Bar Council. Her specialism is strategic growth, with a focus on sustainability as underpinning all forms of growth, and ESG compliance, leadership and reporting. Isabel has worked in the professional services (consulting, research and advisory) and not-for-profit sectors (education, charities, Royal Charter and local authority) seeking to grow their revenues through partnerships, commercial activities and fundraising. Isabel is experienced in change-management projects to improve revenues while controlling costs. She has worked internationally and trans-nationally, her remit extending into external affairs,  marketing and communications. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts, of the Chartered Management Institute and of the Institute for Leadership and Management. Isabel has two PhDs in history and moral & political philosophy, various professional certificates from learned institutes. Outside of work, she is a Trustee of IHL and the Chartered Accountants Benevolent Association (CABA), having sat on various charity Boards and held NED posts for over 10 years.

Samantha Grainger

Samantha creates, scales, and optimizes EdTech businesses. Currently working for Oxford University Press, she leads on identifying and developing innovative new digital businesses and commercial partnerships within ELT. Prior to working for OUP, Sam held the position of Global Director, Online Learning for the British Council. She has over 20 years’ experience in English language education, with various roles in her career from teacher to centre manager to regional director.  She has lived and worked on every continent in the world, and currently resides in Lisbon with her husband, two children and dog!

Gareth Hughes

Chair of the People & Culture Committee

Gareth is a seasoned NED with experience in governance and Human resources and has held Chair and Trustee positions in a number of charitable institutions. Gareth’s qualifications include a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel and Development, MA (Hons), University of Oxford in Modern Languages, and MA, University of Westminster in Film & TV Studies

His previous experience with Royal Bank of Canada included Managing Director, Global Head of Regulatory Compensation (2015 – 2018) and Managing Director, Head of Human Resources, Europe (2004 – 2015) Gareth’s current engagements are with the Theatre Centre where he has been Co-Chair since October 2018 and the International Refugee Trust where is also Co-Chair. 

Tomasz Mazgaj

Tomasz is a project lead who specialises in running global strategic projects in the educational sector. Currently working in LEGO Education, he focuses on developing ‘go to market’ strategies, teacher training programmes and STEAM learning projects across Europe, China, MEA and Asia Pacific.  Prior to working in education, Tomasz worked in global strategy roles with Bentley Motors and the VW Group. Born in Poland, and educated in the UK, he is an Economics graduate, and certified Project Manager

Maxwell Nye

Max’s professional background is in media and communications, having spent 8 years working in some of the largest media agencies in the UK. As a Global Investment Director he oversees USD $0.5 bn in advertising investment across 80 countries for some of the world’s best-known brands. He also brings strong experience in implementing culture change in the workplace, having launched programmes for mental health and eco-sustainability at work. Max is passionate about language learning; he studied English and Modern Languages at Oxford, taught English abroad with the British Council, and has volunteered with charities mentoring disadvantaged students in their application for language study at university.

Vincenzo (Enzo) Raimo

Vincenzo (Enzo) Raimo is an independent higher education consultant and Visiting Fellow at the University of Reading where he previously served as Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement) from 2014 to 2019.   He co-developed the now widely used Global Engagement Index, a free bench-marking tool available to UK universities, and he has written and spoken widely on transnational education, international student mobility, global engagement strategies and role of education agents. His co-edited book ‘Student Recruitment Agents in International Higher Education: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on Challenges and Best Practices’ is due for publication by Routledge in 2023.

Ros Richards

Ros enjoyed a successful career in higher education, during which she was awarded an OBE for services to international education. Rooted in language learning and teaching, she contributed to developing and leading global engagement in institutional, national and international contexts.  She has worked effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders, including government ministries, NGOs, and educational institutions from across the world. Also a trustee with Living Streets, she brings experience and skills in governance, devising and implementing strategy, articulating and interpreting risk, and in financial and business planning. 

Ros strongly believes that language learning and intercultural communication benefit international collaboration and development.  

Christian Staral

Marisella la Forgia

Marisella is a highly experienced professional with a strong background in legal affairs, governance, and strategic risk management, now serving as a dedicated Trustee of International House London. Her expertise encompasses establishing and maintaining robust legal and regulatory frameworks, ensuring compliance, and effectively managing risk within complex global organizations. Driven by a commitment to IH London’s mission of empowering individuals through language and fostering global communication, Marisella brings a valuable perspective to the Board, focused on upholding the organization’s values and supporting its continued growth and impact. Marisella is passionate about ensuring the long-term sustainability and success of IH London as a leading language education provider.