David Fitzgerald is an experienced school and system leader with over 30 years of experience in education and having previously worked for the Reserve Bank of Australia. He holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Undergraduate degrees in Education and Business.

David joins Dukes from Education in Motion (EiM), the leading Asia based school group that includes the Dulwich and Green School brands. In his role with EiM, he was responsible for the educational outcomes and the quality of education provision for all EiM international curricula schools and is focused on improving education quality.

David has been a successful Head/Principal of five schools across government, private independent and international sectors. He has been involved in international education since 2006 and has worked in IB World Schools, US Curriculum schools, Indian Curriculum schools and NCfE schools. David has system leadership experience with the English Schools Foundation in Hong Kong and with GEMS Education in the UAE where he was Senior Vice President – for US and IB Schools. David is an accredited IB, CIS and WASC team visitor and Chair, and an accredited Performance Coach.

Chris began his career in education as a teacher aged twenty-one and has had an extremely rich and varied career in education across the UK, USA, Mexico and Spain.

Chris joins Dukes Education from Cognita Spain where he was Assistant Director of Education for Spain and Italy. In his role as Managing Director for Dukes Education in Spain, Chris combines service leadership with his knowledge of pedagogy, holistic education and private schooling to deliver the highest quality experiences for students and staff that will drive growth and success for all.

Claire Little is the Director of People for Dukes Education Europe. Claire has led the organisation’s people strategy since 2019 initially within for UK, and latterly for Europe from 2024. With more than three decades of experience in HR, talent management, and organisational development, Claire brings a highly commercial and strategic approach to cultivating exceptional employee experiences and building highperforming teams.

Before joining Dukes Education, Claire held senior leadership roles including Group HR Director at Active Care Group and Global Head of Talent Management at Arvato (Bertelsmann), where she delivered major global talent initiatives and succession planning programmes. Earlier in her career, she spent over 12 years at CEB (now Gartner), progressing through multiple leadership roles across professional services, emerging markets, and global development.

Claire holds a BA (Hons) in Social Policy & Economics from the University of Plymouth and is an FCIPD-qualified HR leader. Known for her energy, commercial acumen, and people-centred leadership style, she is passionate about supporting organisations through thoughtful, strategically aligned people practices.

Christopher Durbin brings nearly a decade of experience in international school accreditation through his work with the Council of International Schools (CIS), most recently serving as Associate Director of School Support & Evaluation. In this role, he has partnered with schools across the world to drive continuous improvement and strengthen educational quality.

Before joining CIS, Christopher was a School Development Adviser for the English Schools Foundation (ESF) in Hong Kong, where he oversaw quality assurance, strategic curriculum development, and professional learning. He also served on several ESF governing bodies and contributed to the recruitment and support of school leaders.

Christopher’s earlier career in the UK included positions as a teacher, head of faculty, and advisory teacher for Derbyshire LEA. He later joined the BBC as an Education Officer, leading the development of the GCSE Bitesize online learning platform. He went on to work as an advisor and inspector for Staffordshire LEA, contributing to inspection frameworks, curriculum innovation, and national teacher-networking initiatives.

A published writer and experienced presenter, Christopher has authored articles and textbooks and delivered keynotes and workshops at national and international conferences, particularly in the field of global citizenship education.

Beyond his professional life, Christopher is a lifelong environmentalist and avid cyclist. A cancer survivor, he regularly takes part in long-distance charity rides, raising funds for myeloma and heart-research initiatives. He is most at home in the wilderness or completing a challenging 100-kilometre cycling route.

Laura Beneroso Otáduy is an international educational leader with 18 years of experience across Spanish and international education. Throughout her career, she has specialised in high-quality teaching and learning, curriculum development, instructional leadership, and educational improvement, bringing extensive experience of both the Spanish national curriculum and the International Baccalaureate (IB) as a teacher and as a school leader.

Before joining Dukes Education, Laura held leadership positions within a Nord Anglia Education school, following earlier teaching and leadership roles in both state and independent schools in Spain.

Across these diverse educational settings, she led curriculum development, instructional coaching, and whole-school teaching and learning initiatives. Her work has focused on developing teacher and leadership capacity through coaching, embedding evidence-informed practice, and fostering collaborative professional cultures that drive continuous school improvement and enhance student outcomes. She has successfully led teams, supported teachers’ professional growth, and promoted innovative, student-centred approaches to teaching and learning.

Laura has extensive international experience through the International Baccalaureate, serving as an examiner, workshop leader, consultant, and authorisation visit team leader and member, supporting schools across diverse educational systems and cultural contexts in the Africa, Europe and Middle East region.

She has also contributed to educational research, curriculum development, and pedagogical innovation through collaborations with the International Baccalaureate, Harvard Project Zero – Nord Anglia Education, universities, and national research initiatives, always with a focus on creating meaningful, inclusive, and innovative learning opportunities. Her work spans curriculum design, multilingual education, teacher development, and evidence-informed practice, helping schools strengthen learning experiences and build sustainable capacity for improvement.

Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and three master’s degrees: an MA in Linguistics, an MA in Teacher Training (Language and Literature), and an MA in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language. She is currently completing a doctorate in Spanish Language and Literature and is undertaking the ICF Associate Accredited Coach training.

Her leadership is grounded in the belief that educational excellence is achieved by investing in people, fostering collaborative and high-performing professional cultures, and using evidence-informed practice to drive continuous improvement. She is committed to helping schools create innovative, inclusive, and meaningful learning experiences that enable every learner and every educator to thrive.