Team

Faith Abiodun joined UWC International as Executive Director in 2021, bringing a wealth of experience from his time spent as an education and social enterprise leader, international affairs analyst, writer and speaker. 

Prior to UWC International, he spent nearly a decade at the African Leadership Academy (ALA) in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he served as an executive leading the recruitment of thousands of young leaders from all over the world for ALA’s programmes. He also headed the Communications, Marketing, Programme Recruitment and Partnerships departments, helping to build ALA’s global brand and developing strategic partnerships with governments, corporates, foundations, NGOs and schools. He also founded the ALA Model African Union, through which more than 1,500 young leaders from 58 countries participated in a simulation of the African Union.

Earlier in his career, Faith was a journalist with The Guardian in Nigeria; he also founded The Speech Academy, an elocution and public speaking institution and Future Africa, a public sector leadership organization with a network of emerging leaders spread across more than 30 African countries. Previously, he worked in Corporate Communications at the Bi-Courtney Group and served a sabbatical stint with the international secretariat of Catalyst 2030, a coalition of the world’s leading social enterprises working with national governments to accelerate progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals.  

Faith is a member of the Board of Trustees for News Decoder, a Paris-based global education news service. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Syracuse University, New York. He is also an alumnus of the World Innovation Summit for Education’s (WISE) Learners Voice Executive Education programme.

Mary joined the UWC International Office in October 2020. A Chartered Accountant, she brings senior management, business startup and turnaround experience gained in both the private and not for profit sectors. 

Mary trained and worked with KPMG for several years. Her first Finance Director position was when she was headhunted by a client company to support a reverse takeover and set up a new weekly management reporting package. She was then approached to lead and consolidate a new audit team created on the merger of two accounting firms. Subsequently she co-founded a successful accounting and auditing firm, providing audit, accounting, insolvency, advisory and forensic accounting services – which she ran for several years. Her last 20 years have been spent in the Education sector, the last ten based in Asia.

As  Finance Director at the UWC International Office, she is responsible for financial strategy, systems, risk management, reporting, planning and control as well as supporting the Finance & Audit Committee, the Board and other external stakeholders especially with a view to implement strategies and processes to improve the financial sustainability of the movement as a whole. She is also responsible for establishing new efficiencies in data collection from all stakeholders and setting up, in cooperation with stakeholders, an open sharing of relevant information to aid the future financial sustainability of the movement.

In addition, Mary manages the administrative team. 

As Company Secretary, Mary works closely with the governance bodies of UWC International. 

She and her family are enjoying being back home in the UK together with their pack of rescue dogs.

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Mane is the Governance and Executive Manager at UWC International in London, primarily working in support of the Executive Director and the UWC International Board Chair as they undertake their wide-ranging responsibilities in connection with the coordination, development and leadership of the international UWC movement. She also supports the Company Secretary in the management of all Governance-related matters. Prior to joining UWC in July 2017, Mane had been involved in International Development, Non-profit and Civil Society sectors for more than 10 years through her international work in many countries. For nearly 7 years she had been the Executive Director of International Federation of Liberal Youth – a global organisation that strives for a free and tolerant society without any form of discrimination. She was responsible for developing and implementing strategies and policies, developing educational projects and delivering capacity-building workshops and training, as well as organising activities for youth engagement in the promotion of human rights. Mane has always valued working with the Council of Europe, European Commission and the United Nations but was particularly passionate about working with volunteers across the world and mobilising them through educational activities. She has substantial experience in leading and coordinating diverse teams and staff working across a range of environments.

Mane has also worked in the EU Advisory Group to Armenia under the auspices of UNDP and assisted the foundation of the Diplomatic Academy in Armenia within the Foreign Ministry. Mane holds a Master’s degree in Advanced European and International Studies, and a Master’s degree in Journalism, and speaks Armenian, Russian, English and French. She is passionate about conflict transformation and international politics.

Patricia Travell Chartered MCIPD was appointed as the Head of Human Resources (HR) at UWC International at the end of December 2023. Patricia brings 24 years of experience in human resources, with an MBA in Human Resources Management coupled with diplomas in Employment Law, Organisational Psychology and Microfinance. She is fluent in both Spanish and English. Throughout her professional career she has been instrumental in leading and supporting organisational change across the education, finance, public and non-for-profit sectors.

Patricia’s expertise extends to managing HR functions in large financial organisations back in her home country Bolivia, overseeing more than 1,300 employees across multiple cities, as well as nurturing the growth of newly established education entities like her previous organisation, Oasis Restore, the first secure school in the UK. 

Patricia has been pivotal in creating and developing the HR function in four different organisations including a government ministry in Bolivia. Her strategic acumen and innovative approach to HR best practices have been critical in developing key policies and procedures, enhancing service quality satisfaction, and driving employee engagement.

In her career, Patricia has played a crucial role ensuring the HR function becomes an strategic business partner advising on staffing structures, talent attraction and retention, staff wellbeing and EDI initiatives. Her efforts have consistently aligned with the core values and culture of the organisations she has served, contributing to their overarching success.

As she embarks on her new journey with UWC International, Patricia is committed to fostering a collaborative and effective HR environment, where talent is nurtured and sustainable HR strategies are implemented for the benefit of UWC International. With Patricia’s guidance we are looking forward to building a team that is as diverse and dynamic as the communities we serve.

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Beata joined the UWC International Office in October 2022. She is a dedicated professional with a BSc degree in Business Psychology, bringing years of experience in managing and coordinating office and HR functions. In her current role as HR Coordinator at UWC International in London, Beata conducts comprehensive recruitment and selection activities, including resume screening, interviews and background checks. Her responsibilities extend to employee performance evaluation and the identification of improvement opportunities. Beata efficiently manages new employee orientation, onboarding and offboarding processes, as well as payroll administration. She is adept at developing and implementing HR policies and procedures aligned with company values and goals, while also ensuring the accuracy and maintenance of HR records.

Beata brings a wealth of diverse industry experience to the table, having navigated through social care, private medical care, marketing and finance. Fluent in both English and Hungarian, she thrives on fostering meaningful connections with colleagues. Beata’s dedication to employee well-being and continuous improvement not only shines through in her professional roles but also resonates in her multifaceted commitment to various hobbies, including exploring new destinations, expressing herself through travel blogging, engaging in sport activities and creating art through painting.

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Heins is the Chief of Staff at UWC International in London, supporting the Executive Director and the Board in advancing the organisation’s mission and strategic priorities across the UWC movement. His role centres on strengthening global stakeholder alignment, enabling collaboration, and translating goals into practical and equitable outcomes.

Heins brings extensive experience in strategy implementation and operations management within mission-driven organisations, having held senior advisory and executive support roles in both government and the non-profit sector. Prior to joining UWC, he was Business Operations Manager at Places for People Leisure, a UK-based social enterprise, where he led strategic business planning and operational improvement initiatives in support of the senior leadership team. 

Previously, Heins served as principal executive support to successive Directors-General at the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, overseeing integrated programme delivery and strategic relations with Parliament, Cabinet, and the executive authority. He also served as Director of Strategy and Operations at the Property Management Trading Entity, playing a central role in establishing the entity and designing its operating model. His work helped lay the foundation for commercialising the State’s immovable asset portfolio and improving sustainability and service delivery. 

Earlier in his career, Heins was Media Officer at South Africa’s Education Labour Relations Council, where he led national change initiatives on behalf of the Department of Education and teacher trade unions. His work contributed to improved employment conditions for teachers and broader education reform.

Heins holds qualifications and professional grounding in strategic business management, labour relations, project management, and information design. Guided by a passion for applying cross-sector insights, his professional interests centre on equity-focused systems change and collaborative approaches that strengthen collective impact. 

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Stephen joined UWC International in April 2023. Stephen previously worked in Pharmaceuticals as a Process Development Scientist seeking ways to optimise manufacturing processes. Whilst working in Pharma, Stephen discovered his calling for data when asked to improve the way data is collected and used in his previous company, which inspired his career change. Stephen is responsible for collecting, analysing and presenting data from UWC stakeholders – UWC schools, national committees, alumni, and more – to support decision making and to inform future development across the UWC movement. 

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Radha brings over three decades of experience to the role, working most recently as the Head of Learning and Teaching for a network of fourteen schools in Africa, nine of which are IB schools.Formerly Head of a multicampus school and Associate Director at the National Department of Education in South Africa, Radha describes herself as a teacher at heart, especially passionate about the teaching of English Literature. She was awarded Teacher of the Year by the Peel Board of Education, Canada in 1994.

After South Africa abolished its Apartheid laws, Radha was the elected Independent Education Board’s technical expert who led the writing of the outcomes for English for South African students K-12. Radha has also taught English Language & Literature and Theory of Knowledge at Waterford Kamhlaba UWC of Southern Africa, and she was the elected teacher representative on the WKUWCSA Board of Governors. In addition, Radha is a published author of two Macmillan textbooks about the teaching of English, an accredited coaching facilitator and executive coach. She has been examiner and sub examiner for various boards of education, including IB.

As Director of Education, Radha works very closely with heads of UWC schools and colleges, as well as the UWC International Board’s Education and Schools & Colleges committees to drive strategic alignment on high quality educational outcomes across the UWC movement. She has oversight of the end-to-end process of student selections and short courses, supports the development of curriculum innovations across the UWC movement, and coordinates leadership development initiatives for educational and senior leadership staff across UWC. Radha is based in the London office. 

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Sonia’s deep-rooted passion for language and linguistics led her to an extensive study of the field, with a particular focus on second-language acquisition across different age groups. After completing her Master’s degree, she transitioned into applying her expertise in corporate settings, shaping the way language is used in professional environments. Throughout her long and successful corporate career, she held senior positions in various companies, specializing in training trainers and developing professional growth programs for senior staff.

Her journey with UWC began in 2013 at UWC Mahindra College, where she first experienced the true spirit and purpose of the UWC Colleges. Taking on the roles of English teacher and Houseparent, she also contributed in capacities such as Learning Support Supervisor. In 2018, she moved to UWC Mostar, continuing to teach language and literature while fostering student well-being. At UWC Mostar, she served as a Staff Representative on the College Board, Director of Student Well-being, and eventually, Head of College. In these roles, she strengthened student support systems and enriched both the living and learning experiences at the institution.

prestigious national award, Večernjakov Pečat. Under her leadership, the college also received the Goran Bubalo Peace Award in 2024, recognizing its outstanding contributions to education in the country.

A firm believer in holistic, experiential, and contextual learning, Sonia is deeply committed to the UWC movement and its students. As a mother of two UWC graduates and a dedicated mentor to many, she continues to give back to the community by enhancing student well-being initiatives, refining learning strategies, and advancing curricula—ensuring that students thrive across all UWC schools and colleges.

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Sylvi joined UWC International in July 2023 and is based in the London office, where she coordinates educational initiatives across the UWC schools and colleges, as well as short courses.

Sylvi is an alumna of Waterford Kamhlaba UWCSA (2005) and holds a BA (Hons.) in Politics and Development Studies from SOAS, University of London. Following her first degree, she pursued postgraduate studies in the Justice and Transformation programme at the University of Cape Town, where she also began teaching undergraduate seminars in Political Science and worked as an academic literacy specialist in the university’s writing centre. Her time in Cape Town was followed by eight years at UWC Atlantic, where she taught Global Politics and History, and took on the leadership of the Changemaker Curriculum Team in her final two years.

After an artistic sabbatical in London, during which she also completed a Professional Diploma in Digital Learning Design, she was ready to take on the new role of Academic Coordinator. She is particularly passionate about all aspects of curriculum innovation and deepening communities of practice among educators across the UWC movement.

In her spare time, Sylvi is an avid knitter and enjoys wild swimming and sketching.

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