When I stepped into the role of School Director at Luanda International School, I was doing so after an intense and deeply challenging period as Head of School at Khartoum American School, where our community navigated evacuation and ongoing instability. Transitioning into a new leadership role while carrying the weight of that experience required steadiness, clarity, and trusted counsel.

Jon became a trusted thinking partner well before any formal engagement began. Across many months of conversation, he listened carefully and with empathy, asked difficult questions, and helped me distinguish between what warranted attention and what genuinely required intervention. That sustained, objective perspective during my transition into LIS — at a time when judgment, pacing, and trust mattered enormously — proved invaluable.

When we eventually moved into a comprehensive operational review, Jon’s approach was rigorous, candid, and grounded in a deep understanding of international schools. Equally important, he approached the work with kindness and respect toward the people and teams involved. The resulting Operations Scan did far more than identify issues; it provided clear, prioritised recommendations across systems and practices that allowed the Board and leadership team to make informed decisions with confidence.

Importantly, the findings have since been adopted as a 3-5 year operational roadmap for the school. They are now guiding work to improve efficiency and connectivity across the organisation while also strengthening and uniting LIS’s most valuable asset — its people.

Beyond the formal review, Jon has continued to support me through significant leadership transition and senior operational decision-making. He consistently balances strategic aspiration with operational reality and remains a confidential advisor as the school moves through its next phase of development.

I recommend Jon and GSO to Heads, Boards, and senior leaders seeking both clear strategic perspective and disciplined, in-depth strategic and operational advisory with results. His work is thoughtful, principled, and grounded in the realities of leading complex international schools. He approaches this work as a true partner in leadership — investing the time required when the work and the leadership moment genuinely demand it.