Director

Bryan Nixon joined the BIS leadership team in August 2003 as the deputy head and curriculum coordinator of the Lower School. In August 2005, he became the Lower School Principal and, from July 2008, Bryan has been appointed as the Director.

Originally from Newtownards in Northern Ireland, Bryan is married to Tara and is the proud father of three children: Siobhan, Ruari and Niamh.  Bryan has been involved in education for 15 years as a classroom teacher, a curriculum coordinator and as a Principal. Previously, he worked as a curriculum coordinator at St. Andrew's School, The International School of The Bahamas, where he guided the school through the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP) authorization process. From 2003 to 2005, he worked with the BIS Lower School staff in preparation for what proved to be a very successful IBPYP Evaluation visit in May 2005. 

As an official IBPYP workshop leader for the last 9 years, Bryan has been presenting educational workshops throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the United States and Canada. He is also a member of the International Baccalaureate Professional Development Committee. 

Business Manager

Uwe Schweneke has been with BIS since 1994, and is currently our Business Manager. Uwe's academic background includes a Bachelor of Education degree in Elementary and Secondary Education from the University of British Columbia with a major in Economic Geography and German, and a Master of Education degree in Business Administration from the University of Western Washington.

Uwe came to Europe with the Canadian Department of National Defence Schools, and in his leadership role was able to develop intercultural programmes between Canadian and German schools, as well as multicultural professional development seminars for teachers. He subsequently joined the Ontario Ministry of Education, where he was responsible for international teacher and student exchanges as well as the development and implementation of multi- cultural programmes.

These past experiences serve him well, providing him with contacts to regional authorities and a thorough knowledge of various Western European educational systems.

head of Human Resources

Veronika Maerkl is a native of Munich, a city that she has never grown tired of. She is a real Munich fan who loves the lifestyle, traditions, and cultural offerings of the city, as well as the proximity to Austria, Italy, and Switzerland.

During her training for a career in the hotel industry she concentrated on the area of Human Resources and Labour Law.  Upon completing her studies, she went to work for the Arabella/Sheraton Hotels, where she spent 15 years, and was promoted to the position of Area Personnel Manager for eight Bavarian hotels. In 2002 Veronika Märkl joined BIS, where she assumed the role of Head of Human Resources.

In her rare moments of spare time she enjoys reading, cooking, skiing and inline skating. Travelling is her passion, and she aspires to visit all continents of the world in her lifetime.

 

Lower School Assistant Principal

Angela Hoelzl was appointed Assistant Principal and Curriculum Coordinator of the Lower School in 2006.  She first joined BIS in 2004 as a Grade 3 classroom teacher and has been actively involved in the Lower School curriculum development.  During her time here she became an official IBPYP workshop leader, facilitating in school workshops and regional workshops in Europe. 

Angela is well accustomed to living in Munich having previously worked at Munich International School and being married to Hubert, who is a native Bavarian.  She has two children, Laura and Alexander and both children are bilingual. Originally Angela comes from Manchester in England and first came to live in the Munich area in 2001.  She studied for her Bachelor of Education with Honours in Liverpool and went on to teach in an inner city school in Manchester before moving to Germany.

upper school Principal

Julie Hessler joined the BIS Leadership Team in 2007/2008, bringing over 30 years of experience in education to her post as Upper School principal.

Originally from South Africa, she began her career as a teacher of English, Afrikaans, and Social Studies.  Over the years, she has worked in schools in Canada, Singapore, Ethiopia, Brunei, Columbia, and most recently, at the Guangya IB School in Sichuan, China, where she was the Founding Principal.

Julie's wide range of interests include reading, writing, education, community service, theatre, music, philosophy, cultures and customs, travel, nature, gardening and mythology.