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Maple Bear Central & Eastern Europe

MAPLE BEAR GLOBAL SCHOOLS I The best of Canadian education for a global future.

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About Maple Bear

Maple Bear schools offer full Canadian programs utilizing Canadian methodology and curriculum developed by our own experts from the ground up for preschool, elementary, and high school.
The head office of Maple Bear Global Schools Ltd. is located in North Vancouver, Canada.

The economies of Eastern and Central European countries have been developing at a rapid rate for the past decades. Local companies have expanded into international markets and international corporations are setting up offices locally. This dynamic has enhanced the cultural identity of the region and increased the demand for educated, locally-based global citizens who are fluent in English.

Maple Bear leaders believe that education is the cornerstone institution that will have the most positive impact on the future of the CEE region – not only from an economical point of view but with regard to addressing the main challenges humanity faces as well.

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The Story of Maple Bear

The idea to develop Maple Bear Canadian schools grew out of the work of the Canadian Education Centre Network (CECN), a non-profit organization supported by the Government of Canada and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada which was mandated to market Canadian education abroad to attract foreign students to study in Canada.
Maple Bear was born after CECN managers overseas recognized there was a domestic demand for high quality, bilingual Canadian education from parents, many of whom had studied outside of their own countries in general and in Canada in particular.

The first Maple Bear Canadian School to open was in Indirapuram (New Delhi), India in 2005.
In 2007, Maple Bear became a privately owned company with a dozen schools operating in Korea, Brazil and India. Those numbers quickly changed as news of the excellence of Canadian immersion and bilingual education spread, especially among parents who could see the positive outcomes in language, learning and behaviour of their children.

We invite you to join the Maple Bear global family as an owner, a student, a parent, a teacher or a member of the Canadian faculty.

Founders

Rodney Briggs

Rodney Briggs

Co-Founder & Board Member
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Rodney Briggs

Rodney Briggs

Co-Founder & Board Member

A graduate of the University of Manitoba with an MA in Political Science, Rodney served as a Canadian diplomat from 1981 to 1996 with postings to Canada’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, the Kingdom of Thailand, the People’s Republic of China, and the Republic of Korea. He also served as President of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers.

In 1996, he joined the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada as the Vice-President responsible for the Canadian Education Centre Network project and in 1997 became the first President of the newly-formed non-profit company, the Canadian Education Centre Network. In this capacity he was responsible for building the network from three centres in the Asia-Pacific region into an entity with a presence in 17 countries spanning the globe. While with the CEC Network, Rodney conceived and developed the Maple Bear education system. In March 2007, he purchased Maple Bear from the CEC Network.

As President of Maple Bear Global Schools he traveled extensively, expanding Maple Bear’s global footprint to over twenty countries.

In March 2021, Rodney retired from his operating role as President & CEO of Maple Bear Global Schools. He remains active as Board Chair and a shareholder in the company.

Gerald Macleod

Gerald Macleod

Co-Founder
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Gerald Macleod

Gerald Macleod

Co-Founder

Gerald Macleod held both a B.A. and B.Ed from the University of Saskatchewan, a Masters degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, and a Masters of Education (second language and immersion specialization) from the University of Manitoba. In addition he held a Diplôme d’études françaises from the Université de Poitiers, and a Diplôme d’études internationales et du développement from the Université de Toulouse, France. He also received numerous academic awards, including the Government of France scholarship for Graduate Study in France.

His education credentials were extensive, beginning as a teacher in Montreal, Saskatoon and Winnipeg; as Vice-Principal and Principal at all levels of the Winnipeg school system and as a university professor of Education Administration at the Collège universitaire de Saint Boniface, Manitoba.

Gerald served as School District Director of International Education in Winnipeg; Director of International Education in the Department of Advanced Education for the Province of Manitoba, and as a consultant in international education globally. He frequently presented on international education topics to teachers, principals and school boards.

Gerald passed away in early 2021.

Maple Bear Global Team

José Henrique del Castillo Melo

CEO
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José Henrique del Castillo Melo

CEO

José has invaluable experience in the education sector that spans over three decades. With a proven track record of excellence and achievement, Jose’s career encompasses a comprehensive history in education, from classroom teaching to holding various senior management positions in renowned organizations, in countries like Brazil, Canada and Spain, where he played a pivotal role in expanding global presence and establishing companies as prominent players in the industry.

Martine Lewis

Chief Academic Officer
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Martine Lewis

Chief Academic Officer

Martine is an accomplished leader with over 30 years’ experience in education, curriculum implementation, change management and strategic operations. She holds a PhD in Educational Leadership and has worked as a teacher, Principal and most recently as a Superintendent of Schools for a large public school board. As an educational leader, she is committed to building trust, developing relationships and fostering a culture of collaboration while upholding equitable and inclusive values.

Sunil Sudhakar

Chief Operations Officer
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Sunil Sudhakar

Chief Operations Officer

With a remarkable track record spanning over 25 years, Sunil brings extensive expertise working with globally recognized brands, achieving substantial growth on a global scale, and in various locations, such as Dubai, US and most recently in Vancouver and Toronto.
His strategic thinking consistently delivered outstanding results in various areas such as sales, profit, people development and customer satisfaction. He understands the intricate dynamics of managing both multi-unit operations and pan-regional scopes encompassing both business management and development.

Rafael Mangini

Chief Marketing Officer
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Rafael Mangini

Chief Marketing Officer

With over 20 years of management experience in marketing and communication, Rafael brings a wealth of expertise from leading companies in Brazil. For almost 10 years he was instrumental in the rapid growth of Maple Bear schools in Brazil and Latin America as Marketing Director. With a focus on brand management, product development, and attracting and retaining families, he is passionate about delivering outstanding marketing and communication strategies that will drive Maple Bear’s growth, brand visibility, and success.

Patti Rodger

Director of Training and Quality Assurance
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Patti Rodger

Director of Training and Quality Assurance

Patti Rodger, B.Ed., M. Ed., spent 30 years as an educator and administrator in the Saskatchewan education system. She was a classroom teacher, a special educator and finally a principal for over 19 years.

Lilian Hanson Zirk

Director of Academic Projects
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Lilian Hanson Zirk

Director of Academic Projects

Lilian started with Maple Bear as a trainer in 2018. She is excited to expand her role leading special academic projects for Maple Bear Global Schools.

Lilian worked with the Toronto District School Board for over 30 years, as an Elementary Teacher, Guidance Counsellor, Principal, and Staff Development Consultant assigned to lead policy implementation, program delivery and other system initiatives. Lilian’s experiences in school administration included inner city, alternative school, and several specialized programs (i.e., Special Ed; Extended French; ELL/Newcomers).

Lilian is fluent in Portuguese, as well as English. She currently works closely with the Brazilian Consulate in Toronto, as an elected member of the Brazilian Citizenship Council of Ontario.

Throughout her career, Lilian has always sought opportunities to impact student achievement and has completed an array of additional qualifications, such as: Math Leadership Cadre; Polarity Management; Assessment and Evaluation Data Analysis; Second Step; Tribes (Master Trainer); Cognitive Coaching (Facilitators’ Training); Appreciative Inquiry; Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Facilitator qualifications); Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Administrator’s training); Facilitation Skills for School Improvement; among others.

Renan Avanci

Director of Finance
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Renan Avanci

Director of Finance

Renan has over 15 years of experience in key areas such as FP&A, Controllership and Business Finance, specializing in the education and technology sectors. He has a degree in Accounting and two MBAs in Controllership, Finance and Business Management. His background includes finance projects, business planning (Budget, Forecast, 5YP), automation, finance transformation, M&A, Plug and Play, and the implementation and integration of systems. He has contributed to Grupo SEB as FP&A Manager for 12 years and recently worked as Global Business Finance Manager at Hotmart.

Rebecca Manning

Director of Operations
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Rebecca Manning

Director of Operations

Rebecca’s career in education has spanned 15 years and included experience as an English Language Trainer, Academic Coordinator, Academic Manager, and National Service Manager. She has lived and worked in South Korea, Hungary, Japan, Russia, and Brazil. In 2017, she opened the Canadian office of Maple Bear Latin America in the city of Toronto, where she now works as Operations Director for Maple Bear Global Schools.

Rebecca holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Guelph, with a minor in Mathematical Science. She completed her Human Resources Management Certificate with the Sprott School of Business and holds the designations of Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP) in the province of Ontario and Certified Talent Management Practitioner (CTMP) with the Canadian HR Academy. Additionally, Rebecca has a Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA). She is currently an Executive MBA candidate with Kellogg-Schulich.

Rebecca speaks English and Portuguese.

Raissa de Freitas Calvette

Legal Manager
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Raissa de Freitas Calvette

Legal Manager

With over 11 years of extensive experience in corporate law, specifically in franchises, retail, and the service industry, Raissa brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will undoubtedly benefit our organization. Her background and skills make her a valuable addition to our team, and we are excited to have her on board.

Maple Bear CEE Team

Yann Bidan

Maple Bear CEE General Manager

Pavel Lekov

CFO

Denitsa
Getova

Financial Manager

Nadya
Kostova

Procurement and Office Manager

Irena Korbabicz-Putko

Academic Director

Shawna
Gates

VAD MB GS

Denis Bonningue

Development Director

Mateo
Cuadras

Franchise Expansion
Director

Andreea Necsulea

Operations Director

Beata
Pankowska

Project Manager

Mariya-Viktoriya
Veleva

Project Manager

Virginia Momtchilova

Director of Communications

Ralitsa
Petrova

Marketing Manager

Maple Bear Faculty

The Maple Bear Faculty is a distinguished team of expert Canadian educators, responsible for writing the specially designed and proprietary curriculum, faculty members continually update the material to reflect the latest in research and Canadian educational practices. Every year, the Maple Bear Global Schools team of educators also goes out in the field to Maple Bear locations around the world as trainers to help teachers deliver the program, and as Quality Assurance evaluators to ensure that schools are meeting standards.

Full List of Faculty Members

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