AISB initially engaged Jon and Global School Operations to perform a schoolwide strategic review of our operational policies, an area I had seen significant opportunity to evolve during my time as Director. Since that first engagement, my Board and I have come to know Jon as a very capable, versatile, and invested partner in shaping the operational future of our school and in helping me evolve my own leadership thinking.

For the documentation scan, Jon interviewed all leaders of the major pillars of the school and objectively assessed our current state, quality, and readiness to meet our next stage goals. He approached highly sensitive conversations with exceptionally high EQ and partnership, never judgment, which put our entire leadership team and key stakeholders at ease. Jon also met with our Board Vice Chair and brought very helpful Board level perspective to our alignment.

Jon’s output was a clear and accessible report that gauged policy quality, efficacy, communication reach (or lack thereof), and surfaced a prioritized sequencing of Very High to Low execution priority for AISB to evolve next. He articulated what we do well, what needs modification, and where gaps exist, and structured it in a way that supports the Board in further evolving policy level guidance while improving transparency to all stakeholders in a transient international school context.

We were so impressed that we immediately asked him to lead Phase 2 delivery. That work is underway now and we have a transparent roadmap to success. Critically, we recognize this was not something we could or should do internally if we wanted the strongest possible foundation. Bringing in GSO will create significantly greater long term value than what we have invested. It will accelerate our path to impact, raise quality and coherence, and allow us to spend significantly more time focused on what matters most, student learning.

During Jon’s time with us, AISB also experienced a major HR leadership change. Jon has helped me and AISB redesign the vision and structure we need moving forward. His ability to speak with all facets of our personnel, gather meaningful feedback, and help us intentionally evolve toward a culture of transparency and connection (across overseas and host national, academic and operational, etc.) will be part of AISB’s DNA long beyond my tenure.

We view Jon and GSO as a trusted long term strategic partner. I regularly seek Jon’s perspective on major operational initiatives because his guidance is consistently objective, grounded, and highly relevant to our culture and context. I strongly recommend GSO to any school serious about strengthening operational capability, governance alignment, and strategic execution.