About Us
All of Maple Bear campuses use same Canadian education system developed by Canadian educators. Maple Bear is proud of adapting Canadian education system because it makes students acquire English naturally as well as increase communication skills, critical thinking, cooperation and even creativity. Through high quality of education management, Maple Bear takes responsibility to our students and their parents very seriously.
Maple Bear Korea Executive Team
Crystal Han
Managing Director, Maple Bear Korea
Crystal has been involved with Maple Bear since its first launch in Korea. She has lived in Canada for over 20 years and has received all of her education in Canada from K-12 and her university degree in political science. She has also completed the CELTA certificate offered through the University of Cambridge and is a member of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Crystal has had a long passion for education and has spent many years promoting Canada as a study destination to Korean students prior to joining Maple Bear.
As the Managing Director, she is responsible for managing all aspects operation for Korea including working with the campuses to provide support and guidance with program delivery, professional development of staff and marketing & branding.
Dabin Kim
Administrative & Marketing Manager, Maple Bear Korea
Dabin Kim majored in English and she had experienced in the education field as a teacher. She has previously worked as an administrator and currently leads the administrative/marketing team.
Dabin maintains the education registration systems and learning systems along with our social media presence on the internet. She liaises with the campuses in the promotion of our annual student and parent events. She is also a key member in growing the brand awareness through different campaign initiatives through strategic partnerships.
Ji Hye Kim
Head Finance Officer, Maple Bear Korea
Ji Hye Kim is the head finance officer at Maple Bear Korea. She is in charge of corporate affairs in addition to finance & accounting. She has worked in the finance field for many years and is a season veteran in the local accounting process and procedures.
She duly works as the Assistant Director of the Gimpo campus supervising the staff and operation of the campus.
Maple Bear global team
Arno Krug
CEO
Holding a BSc in Law, a Post Grad in Administration, two Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in Logistics and in Franchising, as well as many certificates such as Disruptive Strategies, Global Business and Leading Management in Education from Harvard Business School, Arno has served in many executive roles and companies including ALL Logistics, AB Inbev, Pearson PLC, Wall Street English and most recently as CEO of Maple Bear in Latin America.
Arno is responsible for the operations side of the company. He oversees company structures, budgets, KPI management and financial sustainability. He also supports growth in the numbers of global schools and students by working closely with our existing joint venture partners and new partners to come, as well as building new strategic relationships.
MICHELLE TICE
Vice-President, Global Communications
Michelle holds a BA in International Relations from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from Canada’s prestigious Ivey Business School at Western University. Michelle has over 25 years of broad ranging communications, marketing and sales experience in corporate, education, non-profit and entrepreneurial environments.
Originally from Vancouver, Michelle has lived, worked and studied in many different countries, including Denmark, Germany, France, Belarus, Ukraine and USA, as well as other parts of Canada. She is also fluent in German and has a working knowledge of French.
LENNA GLADE
Vice-President, Academic
Lenna Glade has been an educator for more than 40 years. She has been a teacher, a school administrator, a Department of Education coordinator and is currently a Faculty Member at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. For the past ten years, Lenna has initiated and implemented several international education projects in her role as Faculty Member. In addition to practicum programs in Thailand and China, Lenna implemented a Bachelor of Education program in Asia and a Post Baccalaureate program in Brazil.
Lenna Glade is a former Academic Director of Maple Bear Brazil. For the past 6 years she has trained teachers and administrators and presented to parents of Maple Bear Schools in Brazil, India, China, Korea, Viet Nam and Singapore. Also, Lenna has coordinated the annual Maple Bear Owner’s Convention in Brazil.
PATTI RODGER
Director of Training and Quality Assurance
Patti Rodger, B.Ed., M. Ed., spent 30 years as an educator and administrator in the Saskatchewan education system. She was a classroom teacher, a special educator and finally a principal for over 19 years.
Patti served the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education as advisor for the Middle Years ELA curriculum writers, and the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation as President and Conference Chair for the Saskatchewan School-Based Administrators and Saskatchewan Middle Years Association Special Subject Councils for over 16 years. She has worked extensively with the University of Regina, facilitating internship workshops and supervising interns in the field. Building capacity in teachers is truly her passion.
Internationally, Patti worked with the National Middle Schools Association Leadership Faculty delivering workshops throughout the US and Whistler, BC for middle level teachers and administrators. She joined Maple Bear Global Schools as a trainer in 2019.
Patti believes in connection. With parents, students, teachers or colleagues, they don’t care what you know until they know you care! Connection is the key to nurturing relationships and building capacity.
NANCY CRICONET
Franchise Expansion Manager
Nancy Criconet is an experienced franchise professional who has held senior positions in franchise development, sales, marketing and operations for close to 20 years. She has worked in many diverse industries in Canada, the U.S. and internationally. Nancy enjoys public speaking and has been invited to speak at various professional events to discuss the business of franchising.
Nancy has a Bachelor of Arts degree from York University in Ontario, Canada with a major in Psychology and completed her graduate studies in the International M.B.A. program at the Schulich School of Business. Nancy is fluent in Spanish and has a working knowledge of French. She has lived and worked in Mexico, Venezuela and Argentina.
REBECCA MANNING
Operations Manager
Rebecca's career in education has spanned 14 years and included experience as an English Language Trainer, Academic Coordinator, Academic Manager, and National Service Manager. She has lived and worked in South Korea, Hungary, Japan, Russia, and Brazil. In 2017, she opened the Canadian office of Maple Bear Latin America in the city of Toronto, where she now works as Operations Manager for Maple Bear Global Schools.
Rebecca holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Guelph, with a minor in Mathematical Science. She completed her Human Resources Management Certificate with the Sprott School of Business and holds the designations of Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP) in the province of Ontario and Certified Talent Management Practitioner (CTMP) with the Canadian HR Academy. Additionally, Rebecca has a Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA). She is currently working towards certificates in Business Innovation and Data Science with the University of Toronto.
Rebecca speaks English and has a working knowledge of Brazilian Portuguese.
MICHELLE FULCO
Financial Process Manager
Michelle is the Financial Process Manager for Maple Bear Global Schools. She holds a BA in Economics and two Post Grads, one in Finance & Controlling and another one in Business Economics. With over 15 years of experience in corporate, her work focuses on improving business process management, implementing and monitoring financial policies and procedures. Born and raised in Brazil, Michelle moved to Canada in 2016, and has joined Maple Bear Global Schools in 2020, collaborating on the financial reports, development of strategies and goals, as well as giving support and working closely with the joint venture partners.
Founders
RODNEY BRIGGS
Co-Founder & Board Chairman
A graduate of the University of Manitoba with an MA in Political Science, Rodney served as a Canadian diplomat from 1981 to 1996 with postings to Canada's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, the Kingdom of Thailand, the People's Republic of China, and the Republic of Korea. He also served as President of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers.
In 1996, he joined the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada as the Vice-President responsible for the Canadian Education Centre Network project and in 1997 became the first President of the newly-formed non-profit company, the Canadian Education Centre Network. In this capacity he was responsible for building the network from three centres in the Asia-Pacific region into an entity with a presence in 17 countries spanning the globe. While with the CEC Network, Rodney conceived and developed the Maple Bear education system. In March 2007, he purchased Maple Bear from the CEC Network.
As President of Maple Bear Global Schools he traveled extensively, expanding Maple Bear’s global footprint to over twenty countries.
In March 2021, Rodney retired from his operating role as President & CEO of Maple Bear Global Schools. He remains active as Board Chair and a shareholder in the company.
GERALD MACLEOD
Co-Founder
Gerald Macleod held both a B.A. and B.Ed from the University of Saskatchewan, a Masters degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, and a Masters of Education (second language and immersion specialization) from the University of Manitoba. In addition he held a Diplôme d’études françaises from the Université de Poitiers, and a Diplôme d’études internationales et du développement from the Université de Toulouse, France. He also received numerous academic awards, including the Government of France scholarship for Graduate Study in France.
His education credentials were extensive, beginning as a teacher in Montreal, Saskatoon and Winnipeg; as Vice-Principal and Principal at all levels of the Winnipeg school system and as a university professor of Education Administration at the Collège universitaire de Saint Boniface, Manitoba.
Gerald served as School District Director of International Education in Winnipeg; Director of International Education in the Department of Advanced Education for the Province of Manitoba, and as a consultant in international education globally. He frequently presented on international education topics to teachers, principals and school boards.
Gerald passed away in early 2021.
Maple Bear Faculty
PHYLLIS HILDEBRANDT
Academic Director, Maple Bear Brazil
Phyllis Hildebrandt is the Academic Director for Maple Bear Brazil. She is from Manitoba and has over 30 years leadership experience. She semi-retired as a Superintendent in Manitoba and has spent the past 12 years working in international settings. Her appointment as the Academic Director in Brazil took place in January 2020. Phyllis has a Master’s in Education and is currently completing her PhD in Literacy Leadership. She is the holder of a School Clinician’s Certificate (READING), Professional Teaching Certificate and Administrator’s Certificate.
In addition to her experience in public and private school systems, Phyllis has taught at the University of Manitoba as a sessional instructor and has conducted literacy training worldwide for organizations such as USAID, UNESCO, Canadian Teachers’ Federation and ChildFund. Her work in Manitoba on the Middle Years Language Arts Framework, Assessment, and Distance Learning program is of benefit to her supportive role in Brazil.
SHALINI JAISWAL
Academic Director, Maple Bear South Asia
Shalini Jaiswal has been an educator for more than 20 years. She has been a teacher, administrator, and a consultant for various education companies and helped them develop programs for different age groups. She has a Masters from Mumbai University and a Bachelors in Education from CCS University, Meerut.
Shalini Jaiswal is currently the Academic Director, Maple Bear South Asia. Her journey with Maple Bear started with opening her own preschool which happened to be the first worldwide in India. She is a part of the Academic Advisory committee and the curriculum committee of Global Schools. She is responsible for the implementation of the Maple Bear program which includes teacher training and quality assurance in all the Maple Bear schools in South Asia region. She is also responsible for developing and implementing the ECE teacher training program in India.
HARRY BELL
Virtual Academic Director, Maple Bear Morocco
Harry lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba with his wife and two sons. He has worked in public education for 36 years – as a classroom teacher, an Art and Physical Education specialist, a Student Services teacher, a Teacher-Librarian, a Curriculum Coordinator, a Divisional Citizenship Coordinator and Vice-Principal. He has worked in both English and French Immersion schools from Kindergarten to Grade 12. His time with Maple Bear as both an in-school and initial trainer has been very rewarding. Meeting new people and sharing in the love of learning is what draws him time and again to working with students, teachers, support staff and administrators. Rather than striving to be an “out-of-the-box” thinker, Harry suggests the box should be thrown away altogether - then there really would be limitless possibilities in education!
ANASTASIA YERENIUK
Virtual Academic Director, Maple Bear Central and Eastern Europe - Romania
Anastasia Sych-Yereniuk offers more than 30 years of achievement in developing productive student focused curricula and environments. An educator in innovative leadership, teaching and learning, Anastasia holds a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), Bachelor of Education and Masters in Education (Curriculum and Instruction). She has worked with all levels of school from N- Grade 12, as a teacher and school administrator around the world, to create powerful learning opportunities and maximize learning for teachers and students. Her belief that meaningful change can only happen when you first connect to people’s hearts is consistently modelled in her everyday teaching practice. A passion for working in administration, writing curriculum, developing materials and training teachers has afforded her with a diverse range of experiences with Maple Bear including, writing curricula, training owners, coordinators and teachers and nudging school development.
PAT ADAMSON
Virtual Academic Director, Maple Bear Central and Eastern Europe - Bulgaria
Pat Adamson has been a literacy educator in Manitoba for over 40 years, having
served as a classroom teacher, resource teacher, special education consultant and a literacy specialist/coordinator. She has a Masters in Education and is a certified Reading Clinician. Pat has worked with teachers throughout Manitoba and has been both a faculty advisor and sessional instructor at the University of Manitoba and a sessional instructor at the University of Winnipeg.
Most recently, Pat has worked with Maple Bear as a curriculum writer and trainer. She believes in a collaborative approach to teacher professional development and strives to build positive relationships with teachers to ensure successful learning for all students and school teams.
BRENDENE BARKLEY
Virtual Academic Director, Maple Bear Turkey
Brendene Barkley has taught for 37 years. She served as a Math/ Science Consultant in her school division in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. She served as vice-principal then principal before retiring. Brendene was also a writer and team leader for the Kindergarten to Grade 4 Science curriculum for the Manitoba Department of Education. She was a writer for the Science Everywhere and Math Everywhere science textbooks published by Harcourt Canada. Brendene began working with Maple Bear Global Schools in 2013 as a curriculum writer and trainer (Nursery, Jr K., and IK). Aside from education, Brendene loves spending time with her grandchildren, painting, music and travelling.
PAMELA RUDY
Virtual Academic Director, Maple Bear Asia
Pamela has 40 years of service in the Canadian education system. She has worked as a teacher and as an administrator both at the elementary and senior years levels. Pamela has a wide range of experience from Nursery to Grade 12, including resource, counseling, off-campus programs and working with students at risk. She also has experience working in multi-age classrooms. Pamela has delivered professional development on several topics including literacy, numeracy, learning strategies, differentiated instruction, behavioral management, character education and assessment.
Pamela joined Maple Bear three years ago allowing her to continue to do the work she loves -- training teachers and working with children.
CHRISTER NILSSON
Virtual Academic Director, Maple Bear Hong Kong
As a successful educator with over forty years of experience Christer Nilsson was a teacher, science consultant, assistant principal, and principal with the Toronto District School Board. After retiring he instructed in the teacher education program at the University of Toronto. Christer then joined the International community as a Principal and Assistant Superintendent at the American Creative Academy in Kuwait.
During his years as an educator and curriculum leader Christer was involved with curriculum development at the school board level and commercially with GTK press as a writer of science textbooks. As a principal with the Toronto District School and The American Creativity Academy and as an instructor at the University of Toronto he was involved in teaching and mentoring new teachers.
CHARLOTTE SIEMENS
Virtual Academic Director, Maple Bear Latin America
Charlotte Siemens has been with Maple Bear since 2018. Until that time, she was working for the Abbotsford School District in British Columbia, Canada. Charlotte has worked in both private and public schools. In the last few years, she has been more involved with early childhood education. She has taught internationally in Kurdistan, Iraq and spent a few years in rural Nicaragua.
Charlotte’s undergraduate degrees are from Manitoba: a Bachelor of Arts from
University of Manitoba, and a Bachelor of Education at the University of Winnipeg.
During her time at UWinnipeg, she worked closely with the ESL professor and was an official marker of the CANTEST for the university. After she moved back to her home province, she obtained a Masters of Administration from the University of British Columbia.
She loves being around the energy of children, and seeing their academic, social and physical growth. In addition, it is a great joy for her to work with other educators and mentor new teachers. Charlotte has been a teacher as well as administrator at elementary, middle and high school. Her last position before retirement from the school district was at the district level as “Principal of Learning Services” supporting schools with students with Special Needs.
In her free time, she can be found hiking a mountain, riding a bike, or curled up with a good mystery. She lives close to Vancouver, BC.
JUDY HIEBERT
Virtual Academic Director, Maple Bear USA
Judy served in Manitoba schools for over thirty years at the Kindergarten – Grade 6 level. She valued her experiences as a classroom teacher, resource teacher, vice-principal and principal. Judy holds a Masters in Education (Administration), Post-Baccalaureate (Special Education) and a Bachelor of Education.
Excited to continue engaging her passion for education, she joined the Maple Bear team in Fall 2017. Judy is presently a trainer in Brazil and a Virtual Academic Director for Maple Bear Global Schools. Her experience has been exciting, challenging and very rewarding.
Judy believes that meaningful relationships are the building blocks for a positive learning environment and that curiosity and creativity are essential to the learning experience. She also recognizes that ensuring learning for children is best achieved through facilitating teamwork and providing professional development for all teachers and staff.
Judy lives in Steinbach, MB with her husband, a professor of sociology. Their two adult sons and daughter-in-law bring much joy to her life. Her avocational interests include hiking, swimming, reading, gardening, and travelling.
BEVERLEY BENNETT
Virtual Academic Director, Maple Bear Gulf
Beverley Bennett’s introduction to Maple Bear was as acting principal to assist with a school opening in Brasilia in 2010. Since then, she has had the opportunity to visit ten Maple Bear countries, providing a wide range of services from initial training, classroom support, to training and quality assurance. A highlight for Beverley has been developing and delivering literacy instruction workshops.
On top of her training work, she has also worked in Sao Paulo in the central office and teaches University of Winnipeg courses to Maple Bear teachers in Brazil as well as to Canadian education students in Thailand and China. She especially enjoys her role in preparing new Canadian expert trainers for their first assignments. Beverley holds a Master of Education from McGill University. For her, Maple Bear has been a fulfilling second career in education.