Mark Leppard MBE

Mark is a successful and ambitious school leader of an outstanding British international school. In 2015 Mark was awarded an MBE for his services to education and has an M.Ed in Educational Leadership. In 2023 Mark won the SchoolsCompare.com Best Principal in the UAE Award and in 2025 was awarded the Pearson Lifetime Achievement Award. His focus is on team building, in terms of motivation, personnel and structure, ensuring that the students benefit from these developments. He has a life long passion for learning and ensures that the student is at the heart of all decisions that are made. Holistic education is fundamental to Mark's philosophy and he believes that learning should not be restricted just to the formal classroom. Mark has a track record of success, having led schools through 7 'Outstanding' school inspections and accreditations. He is a lead school inspector and has inspected a variety of schools around the globe. Mark has experience of developing and delivering an agreed vision, as well as leading schools through a rebranding process. His astute financial experience has led not-for-profit organisations to very healthy financial positions. He has worked closely on whole school building projects of various sizes including a complete new campus project, successfully opening a satellite Primary School campus and most recently delivering a state of the art Science and Innovation Centre. Mark is the first international member of the HMC Board, currently Chair of BSME, Fellow of the Chartered College of Teachers and a BSO Lead Inspector. Mark sits on the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund Advisory & Decision Committee, supporting entrepreneurs to establish and grow their business ideas in the UAE. He was invited to sit on the Make Stuff Better Advisory Group, a professional coaching organisation and Advisory Board for Squirrel, a start up youth financial literacy start up company. Mark regularly talks at various conferences on topics including Successful Governance, Leadership Journeys and Wellbeing, including whole school, student, staff and self. Mark is a passionate sportsman and has successfully captained teams at various levels. He represented the Arabian Gulf at rugby, is an Honorary Life Member at Doha Rugby Club, a Vice President of Harlow Rugby Club, an avid Tottenham Hotspur fan and now both trains regularly to keep fit and has taken up golf, looking to reach a single figure handicap and Padel. Mark is very happily married and has three children of adult age.