Meet our staff

Terry spent a majority of his years in New Zealand before deciding to accept an international leadership opportunity in Shanghai China, where he was the Principal for four years.  Terry holds a Bachelor of Education from Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand and has been leading a fruitful career in education for over 28 years. He started his profession teaching in a small country school in New Zealand and quickly progressed to posts in several outstanding private schools. Since 2005, he transitioned from a classroom teaching and other leadership roles, to Founding Principal of a private school in New Zealand.  As the Founding Principal for the Hamilton International School, he believes it is the school of choice and his duty to lead the strategic vision of the establishment. He is committed to ensuring Hamilton’s vision is at the forefront of everything the team will do; Igniting students Passion, Purpose and Potential, central in all they do and what they promise to do.  Terry enjoys going to the gym, playing squash, reading and travelling. He has a very supportive wife and three school-age children who love life and enjoy all the opportunities their new home in Doha has to offer.

Matt grew up in the United Kingdom where he studied Sport Science at University. Always knowing he wanted to be a teacher, Matt taught in the UK for three years before moving into international education. He was most recently Head of Secondary at King’s College Alicante, Spain, where he developed the secondary school as it grew into an IBDP centre.  Prior to this role he was Deputy Headteacher at both Garden International School, Malaysia, and the British School in The Netherlands and previously taught in Qatar and the USA in 3-18 international schools; as well as in the UK in secondary and further education. Matt has taught and led teams in high performing schools in all stages of education (EYFS to Foundation Degree) and across a range of educational models.   Matt places significant importance on being aspirational for all students and in all that we do as educators. The ethos of aspiration underpins his leadership, as does the place of being values driven. Matt holds an MEd in International Education, NPQH and PGCert in Coaching and Mentoring alongside workplace coaching qualifications. With a keen interest in holistic education, Matt is passionate about the place of the school community and the role of co-curricular enrichment in enhancing school experience.    Outside of school, Matt is a keen, although in his own words ‘rather unspectacular’ cyclist and triathlete. Matt and his wife Sally-Anne are thoroughly looking forward to The Hamilton Community and returning to Qatar having lived and taught in Qatar in 2010 for four years.

Thouraya is an experienced and committed school leader with over 15 years in international education. Originally from Lebanon, she has been part of the Qatar education community since 2011. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature from the Lebanese University. Thouraya brings a deep passion for student growth, curriculum development, and high standards in teaching and learning. She currently leads school-wide initiatives in accreditation, compliance, and assessment at The Hamilton International School. Thouraya believes that strong relationships, clear systems, and purposeful learning are key to student success.

Kubeshni hails from Johannesburg, South Africa, and relocated to Qatar in 2018. She started her career 26 years ago as a Finance intern which developed into an impressive career in Finance. Kubeshni is a current CPA Australia member and holds a BCom degree with a specialization in Financial Management. In 2010 Kubeshni reached the pinnacle of her career as Finance Director at Capacity Outsourcing, a division of Adcorp Holdings, where she stayed for several years. In 2018 whilst holding the position of Group Finance Manager Shared Services, she was offered a position at The Blue Group, a Sports Retail giant in Qatar where she developed her Financial Management Skills further over the past 3 years.  Kubeshni gives gratitude for her impressive career to the spiritual path that she has followed for most of her life coupled with life coaching and self-development. She is inspired by mentors like Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra, Abraham Hicks, just to name a few, who inspire her to be a better version of herself than yesterday, and even a better version of herself than she is today and the best version of herself than she is tomorrow. Her passion for self-development and the development of the large teams she has managed within the Finance departments is what motivates her to lead and mentor them to think out of the box and always reach for the stars.  Kubeshni loves to cook and has a flair for shopping for designer handbags and sneakers.

Ashtar was born in Lebanon and raised in Qatar. She holds a degree in Human Resources Management from Oxford and North Atlantic College-Qatar.  Ashtar has always had a passion for Human Resources Management within an education environment. In 2010, she joined the education sector as an HR Generalist for Taallum Educational Group in Qatar, working in all HR operations.  Being enthusiastic about providing high quality HR services to an organization as well as staff members, she is a people-oriented person, helping her a great deal in her chosen field of work.  Ashtar enjoys reading, travelling, listening to music and spending time with her family.

Alan was born and raised in Ireland before starting his teaching career in the UK. He is a caring and understanding teacher who goes the extra mile for all of his students.  Alan is a qualified teacher in both math and PE and has taught both subjects for many years in England. He attended university in Ireland, trained in a several schools there, as well as, opting to study for 1 year in the US at the University of Michigan where he gained experience in the US curriculum.  Making math relatable to students is one of Alan’s main aims. He likes to have interesting activities, fun projects and real life problems integrated into his lessons to foster his students’ love of math. Don’t be surprised if Alan takes math outside of the classroom as he likes to challenge his students to investigate math problems around the school grounds which leads to physical activity and a high level of engagement in learning.  Alan is passionate about sport and, when he isn’t watching Manchester United, he is participating in sport. He loves Gaelic football and is a member of Qatar GAA here in Doha. He also enjoys scuba diving, reading and cooking.

Leon grew up in London where he gained his BSc Honours in Business Management & Early Childhood Studies. His passion for teaching and learning has always driven him to inspire the next generation of learners, both inside and outside the classroom. Leon began his teaching career in 2012 and made the exciting decision to relocate internationally to Qatar in 2016—a move he has cherished every day. Leon has completed his Masters in International Education and National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL) continually seeking to enhance his skills and knowledge to provide the best educational experiences for his students.  As the Assistant Head of Middle School, Leon’s primary goal is to ensure learner’s are enthused and engaged in purposeful learning experiences, fostering their development into globally competent individuals.   Outside the classroom, Leon enjoys staying active by going to the gym and watching Formula 1. He also loves travelling with his family and indulging in his culinary passions, often spending time cooking and baking sweet treats.

Mr. Rowland is from the North-East of England; he holds a BA in English Literature from the University of Northumbria and a PGCE in Primary Education from the University of Sunderland. He is passionate about inquiry-based learning that enables children to have autonomy and agency and builds on their natural curiosity to help them develop into creative, resilient learners.  Mr. Rowland is in his seventh year of teaching and has previously held the post of Assistant Head Teacher of Key Stage One. He also has experience across both key stages, having taught in both Year Six and Year Two. This amalgamation of experience has provided him with a much wider perspective of effective teaching and learning. Mr. Rowland was part of the Key Stage Two team that was named the national winner of the Pupil Premium Awards. He also led his previous school in being awarded the Primary Science Quality Mark to celebrate the whole school's impact on teaching and learning in science.  Calum enjoys Jiu-jitsu and golf. He also enjoys film, music, and exploring new and exciting countries.

Sophie McLean is a passionate, student-centered educator with over 15 years of experience in teaching and leadership. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Durham University and began her career in schools across the North East of England, progressing to a senior leadership role.  Since becoming a mother in 2018, Sophie’s passion for teaching has only deepened. She is committed to delivering high-quality teaching, learning, and life experiences that empower every student to thrive.  Since relocating to Qatar, Sophie has been a valued member of The Hamilton International School community. She has held various leadership roles including Grade Leader, Acting Assistant Head, and most recently, Whole School Multilingual Lead. She has also completed her National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH), further strengthening her leadership expertise.  Sophie is deeply committed to international education and is proud to contribute to the growth and spirit of the Hamilton community. She thrives on building connections within the school and looks forward to supporting and collaborating with students, staff, and families. In addition to her work developing multilingualism across the school, Sophie is passionate about creating inclusive, engaging learning opportunities that equip students with essential academic, life, and social skills.