Senior Students Leadership Forum: Ethical Leadership in the Tech Age

Iain Kilpatrick is an experienced educator with thirty-plus years in teaching, over twenty of which have been in headship.  A graduate of the Universities of Stirling and Edinburgh, Iain has been head of two schools in the UK before joining YK Pao School in Shanghai in 2024 as Executive Headmaster.

From his first teaching role in a full boarding school, Iain has been committed to whole-person education and the benefits of a creative pedagogical approach.  In roles with the UK Government, national education organisations and chairing a multi-academy trust, Iain has first-hand experience of a range of education systems throughout the world and is excited by the opportunity of now working in China.

Tom Lewis, Head of Business Development for WildChina Education and Beyond Classrooms, is based in Shanghai and has a passion for experiential education and responsible tourism. Tom leads a dynamic team delivering immersive cultural and educational travel programs across the world. With extensive experience in fostering cross-cultural understanding, he is committed to expanding Beyond Classrooms as a globally recognized experiential education brand.

Born and raised in Solihull, England, Ronan studied Geography at the University of Exeter before completing a PGCE at the University of Warwick. Since beginning his teaching career in 2019, Ronan has developed a passion for supporting students to achieve their academic and personal potential.

In 2021, Ronan moved to Shanghai and is currently the Head of Sixth Form and Head of Humanities at Britannica International School, Shanghai. These roles have provided the opportunity to lead a diverse team, champion high-quality British education overseas, and foster a culture of academic excellence, student wellbeing, and holistic personal growth.

Ronan’s educational philosophy centres on student-centred learning and the vital role of education in creating a brighter tomorrow for all, empowering young people to become confident, curious, and compassionate global citizens.

Tracy Guo is a young professional with Master of Arts degree from the University of Manchester, she possesses outstanding brand marketing experience at Vita Student – where ambition lives, is a high-end student accommodation brand in 20 cities across the UK and Spain, with all buildings located in the heart of the city and modern design, luxurious facilities, hotel service and premium community culture.

Not only the perfect university living experience, Vita Student supports ambitious young talent with internship programs and established Vita Student Alumni program, offering career development, social activities and exclusive brand benefits worldwide.

Haena Kim leads WildChina’s Education business and is the founder and CEO of Beyond Classrooms. A visionary in educational program design, she is deeply committed to impactful, sustainable service learning—her motto being “learning outside the classroom.” Her passion began at 16, designing experiential programs for private kindergartens in Korea. Today, she serves hundreds of schools and tens of thousands of students annually through transformative programs in China and beyond.

A global citizen, Haena has lived in five countries, speaks five languages, and embraces adventures like climbing, caving, and swimming with whale sharks. Growing up alongside indigenous tribes in the Philippines, she brings a profound appreciation for culture, community, and the power of education to inspire future leaders.

Haena is a frequent speaker, engaged with think tanks like the Asian Institute and Jane Goodall Institute, on the Education Committee for the British Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, and a board member of the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) Shanghai chapter.  She holds a degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and resides in Shanghai.

Dr Katy Granville-Chapman is a former Research Fellow and current Associate Fellow of the Oxford Character Project (at the Department for Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford) where she co-directed the creation and delivery of the global, free of charge course ‘Leading with Character’. Katy co-chairs the ‘Leadership for Flourishing’ group, part of The Flourishing Network hosted by the Human Flourishing Program, at Harvard University; and is co-editor of the book ‘Leadership for Flourishing’ (Oxford University Press). Katy is the co-author of ‘Leader: Know, Love, and Inspire Your People’, a Business Book Awards runner-up, and ‘The Flourishing Teenage Brain: a scientific operating manual for parents.’ Katy completed an MSc and DPhil at Oxford, and lectured at Oxford’s Department of Education. She is a deputy head at Wellington College, UK.

Katy is co-founder of Global Social Leaders, a movement of young changemakers creating social action projects in their communities, across 105 countries. She is on the board of two charities.

Katy represented Great Britain in age-group triathlons – placing 16th in her age at the World Championships. She’s a former GB synchronised swimmer and national swimming finalist.

Mandy Xu helped launch Haleon in China after its global split from GSK—not just with one campaign, but through a series of creative strategies that engaged employees, partners, and the public. She built strong internal culture and external visibility by combining storytelling, volunteering, and digital engagement.

She led Haleon’s presence on platforms like WeChat and Xiaohongshu, making the brand relatable to younger audiences through short videos, influencer content, and interactive posts.

With senior roles at Danone, Solvay, and Eaton, Mandy brings global experience and a human-centered leadership style.

Her motto?
“Think boldly, stay purpose-driven, and act with humanity.”

💡 Join Mandy’s session to learn how to build brands, lead teams, and stay human in the AI era.

Yifan Wang is a Tech Partner at Haleon, driving digital transformation in consumer healthcare. A cross-cultural leader, she has studied and worked in Australia, China, the US, and Indonesia. Her approach to leadership in the AI era is defined by bridging technological innovation with human-centric design, ensuring technology serves people. This philosophy is recognized in her selection as a McKinsey Next Generation Women Leader. Yifan holds an MBA and is a lifelong learner, fluent in multiple languages, symbolizing her belief in building bridges—between technology and business, between data and people, and across global cultures.

Steven Varty is Head of Biology at YK Pao School in Shanghai, where he has taught for six years. He leads the department across IGCSE and IB, with a commitment to connecting science education to broader ethical and global issues. In recent years, Steven has developed projects that integrate artificial intelligence into learning, encouraging reflection and the cultivation of skills less likely to be replaced by technology. He views AI not as a replacement for human intelligence but as a tool to augment it, opening new possibilities for creativity, critical thinking, and ethical engagement.

Mark Cole has been a dedicated educator at YKPS for over 10 years, serving as an IB and IGCSE Biology and Sports Science teacher, Head of House, and Head of Staff Development for the entire high school. Passionate about integrating AI into teaching and learning, Mark focuses on leveraging AI to streamline workflows and processes, enabling educators and students to work more efficiently. However, he remains a steadfast advocate for maintaining individual voice, creativity, and critical thinking in the classroom. Mark’s innovative approach combines emerging technologies with a commitment to holistic, thoughtful education, empowering both staff and students to thrive in an AI-enhanced learning environment.

Colin oversees all aspects of IT operations across YK Pao School’s three campuses, including infrastructure, data management, and systems implementation. Since joining the school in 2007 as its sole IT professional, he has progressed through roles encompassing Technical Support, Systems & Database Administration, and Software Development.

His current focus centers on integrating AI into the educational ecosystem, where he customizes open-source systems to empower teachers, staff, and students—building a future-ready learning environment. Prior to his technology career, Colin taught Physics to Year 11 students at a local school in Shanghai.

Colin holds a degree in Business Management and Information Systems from Shanghai Business School. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®), ITIL® Practitioner, and Programmer.

Dr. Yang Li is an associate professor at the School of Computer Science and Technology in East China Normal University. He is leading the research group, Visual Perception + X group, focusing on the intersection of computer vision, computer graphics, and robotics areas. Dr. Li completed his PhD in the College of Computer Science at Zhejiang University with Prof. Jianke Zhu. In 2018, he visited the University of California, San Diego and worked with Prof. Michael Yip in the ECE department. Meanwhile, he worked as a part-time researcher at Alibaba-Zhejiang University Joint Institute of Frontier Technologies during his PhD. Prior to that, he spent some years in the video game industry at Virtuos.

Konnor is a theatre director, choreographer, and music educator who believes that leadership starts with teamwork. With 15 years of experience directing and teaching musical theatre he has helped students of all ages discover the confidence, creativity, and communication skills that thrive both onstage and in life. Inviting students to unlock their creativity with theatre and artificial intelligence, his workshops are interactive, fast-paced, and designed to show how collaboration fuels new ways of thinking and leading.

Nikola Serafimov is the Director of Academic Programs at LOZO, where he leads initiatives to help students master the art of speech and debate. With over 14 years of experience in the global speech and debate circuit, Nikola has coached and mentored thousands of young debaters, fostering both competitive success and personal growth. His background in policy and law shapes his approach, emphasizing critical thinking, clear communication, and practical application of skills beyond the classroom.

During a long career, Ian has worked in a wide variety of jobs in the chemical industry in the UK, Europe, USA, China and some N. African countries, as well as participating in projects in Venezuela, Algeria and Saudi Arabia.  As a result, he has worked with many multi-cultural teams, both as a team member and as a leader.  He has now lived and worked in China for nearly 28 years.

Executive Director of the British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai for six years and as a Visiting Professor at the Sino-British College Shanghai where he lectured in their Business Faculty. He has now retired, but speaks to management groups regularly on cross-cultural issues. He keeps busy by volunteering for charity work and carrying out related administrative duties.

Sam is a House Master at Wellington College where he has a passion for helping develop young men into compassionate leaders. He has four children of his own, and also teaches Spanish, coaches squash, and helps run the Christian forum. Following a Spanish and Portuguese degree at Oxford – where he was a scholar – he went on to set up gap years for British students in Mexico and the Gambia, and has been involved in programmes for street children in Mexico, Chile and Paraguay. Sam has also established bilingual immersion trips for Wellington language students in France and Spain.