School Board

Aisha is a Maldivian citizen and parent of two children at OSC currently working as an independent director on the Board of Maldives Pension Administration Office. A co-founder of Avahteri Gallery, a social business promoting art & culture, Aishath previously served a 5-year term on the Board of Maldives Inland Revenue Authority, was a Manager at CARE Ratings Maldives Branch, and has also worked for the Maldives Stock Exchange and Security Depository. Aisha holds a BA (Hons) Business Management from the University of Westminster, UK. Aishath brings to the board a strong understanding of the work of the board and its committees, gained from previous experiences in governing nonprofit-independent institutions, formulating strategic policies, appointing and evaluating top international expertise, appraising organizational resources and adhering to ethical and legal requirements. She looks to support the board’s work in ensuring that OSC delivers excellence in education for students from a diverse set of countries and backgrounds.

Tiia Juhkam is an Estonian citizen. She joined the Board in September 2020. Tiia is married with three kids, the youngest is attending OSC. Tiia is a certified IB PYP Early Years teacher and she has worked at international schools in Bangkok and Dhaka. Also, Tiia has broad experience working with not-for-profit and non-governmental educational organizations in Estonia as a project leader and manager. She has served as a board member of the Adult Education Association of Estonia (EVHL). Before moving to Colombo in October 2019, Tiia worked as an Executive Assistant to the Consul General of the Republic of Estonia in New York.

Aminath is a Maldivian citizen and the parent of a child at OSC who is actively involved in the School Community Network, working as Treasurer since 2017. Aminath has worked in a family-owned businesses in Maldives and Sri Lanka and in the Maldives Monetary Authority with responsibilities in the areas of Bank Supervision and Public Debt. Aminath holds a Bachelor Degree in Business from Monash University, Australia and a Master of Commerce Degree from the University of New South Wales, Australia. Aminath brings to the board a financial background and international experience helping her understand the OSC’s focus on unity in diversity. She looks to support the board in prioritizing the needs and interests of our student environment to ensure that OSC functions effectively and efficiently in achieving our shared vision.

Peter hails from Canada. He works with the Canadian High Commission in Colombo in a
management capacity. He arrived in Sri Lanka in 2020. Peter is married and he and his wife have
three children, two of which attend OSC. Peter has a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a master’s
degree in adult education & human resource management. He has worked in many different
countries and has spent 19 out of the last 22 years working in Asia. He has a keen interest in
education and embraces the lifelong learner idea. Peter hopes his experience in education,
management and multicultural environments will help the OSC board achieve its vision.

Ari is an American citizen and parent of two children at OSC currently working at the U.S. Embassy.  Prior to joining the State Department, he worked for the United Nations in a regional seas program, and as legal counsel for the pacific island nation of Palau.  Ari has a law degree and a PhD in international relations.  Ari brings to the board almost four years on the school board at the Lincoln School in Kathmandu — during which time the school completely upgraded its infrastructure, significantly modernized its governance policies, and choose a new head of school.  He appreciates that serving on a school board is a great privilege that allows one to support the children of the OSC community in reaching their full potential.  Moving forward, he looks to work to ensure that: OSC continues to provide an outstanding international education, that OSC’s physical infrastructure is upgraded, and that OSC’s governance structure and practice is fully aligned with parents’ needs and concerns.

An American citizen, Heidi Hattenbach leads the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka.  She joined the Board in 2022 after arriving in Sri Lanka in late 2021. Heidi is married and has three children, two currently at OSC and one at university after attending four different international schools. An experienced advocate for international education, Heidi is committed to supporting OSC toward continued success as a diverse and inclusive community that encourages young learners to embrace curiosity and excellence. Heidi also serves as the Chairperson of the U.S.-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission, a binational commission which works to promote understanding between the U.S. and Sri Lanka through mutual educational and professional exchanges.

Romesh de Silva is a British Sri Lankan dual citizen and is a parent of two boys. He has one child in OSC MYP and an older child who is currently studying at the University of California, Berkeley. Romesh is engaged as a Business Development Advisor to a US Silicon Valley IT company called Array Networks Inc and a Singaporean cybersecurity software company called CySecurity Pte. He is a Board Director of a leading value-added IT distributor in Sri Lanka called Connex IT. In addition to these three advisory roles, he also runs his own sourcing and exporting company called Global Trading Point Pvt Ltd. He obtained a First-Class Joint Honours Degree in Maths & Computer Science from Kings College London and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales. He has worked with Coopers & Lybrand London and Sri Lanka offices. Romesh specialises in import export and in developing IT business in South East Asian region. Romesh captained the Kings College First XI cricket team and his school chess team, enjoys playing tennis and table tennis and is a hands-on parent to his boys and a dog named Bruno.