Bishop Mackenzie International School is a non-profit organization run by a Board of Trustees. The Board consists of nine elected members, three of whom are Malawian taxpayers, three non-Malawian taxpayers, and three non-taxpayers. Each of these three groups shall have three voting members on the board. Board members are elected from the parent body by the Parents Association. The Director and Head Teachers of Primary and Secondary schools, an elected teacher representative from the Primary and Secondary schools, and the Chair of the PTA are ex-officio members. The board may also appoint ex-officio members with particular skills in order to fulfill its obligation to facilitate the smooth running of the school.
The Board holds an open meeting on the last Tuesday of each month that school is in session. Times are advertised in the school newsletter, Tikambe. An AGM of the Parents Association is scheduled to be held in March of each year (completed audited reports permitting) where audited accounts and annual reports of the previous financial year and the provisional budget for the forthcoming financial year are presented. Vacancies arising in the Board during the year may be filled through co-opting a suitable parent and shall fill the vacancy until the next election cycle.
The structure of the BMIS Board of Trustees is laid down by the Articles of Association and is made up of nine parent members. The board is broadly representative of the different groups of parent members and is comprised of three Malawian parents, three non-Malawian taxpayers, and three non-taxpayers.
The term of office is three years, but with a highly mobile parent body, it is not uncommon to have a higher turnover. Elections are held annually, following the AGM and before the end of the academic year.
Bouke Bijl works in the agricultural sector as a consultant and has 2 daughters that joined BMIS at reception and have been at school ever since. Having served as a Board Member for a first term, he is keen to utilise his experience and knowledge that he has been able to gain to help guide the school towards a bright and sustainable future that will provide a safe and healthy learning environment for future generations!
As an alumna of Bishop Mackenzie International School from 1990 to 1996, and father of two eager learners in the lower primary, my personal and familial ties to BMIS run deep. My tenure within the Round Table Lilongwe from 2012 to 2024, as the Chairman in 2017 and Treasurer from 2013 and 2018 to 2022, has honed my leadership and financial management skills, which I am keen to utilize for the benefit of our school community.
I strongly believe that every student deserves a supportive environment where they not only learn but thrive. Drawing on my extensive experience in business and leadership, I am committed to backing policies that prioritize student success, equality, and inclusivity. Central to my vision for the school board is collaborative decision-making, involving parents, educators, and community members. By fostering open communication, we can ensure that everyone has a say in shaping our schools.
Heidi Schellenger, U.S. Embassy Management Officer in Malawi, has a child at BMIS. With a civil engineering background and an MPA from Harvard, she’s devoted to her role after 12 years in non-profits. The Schellenger Family’s stay in Malawi is for three years.
Meet Ken, a chartered accountant and MBA with 18+ years of international experience. He’s a system development and fraud prevention expert, now leading Emere, a cloud-based B2B platform fighting fraud in procurement. Proud dad of two BMIS girls in Malawi.
Kristen Pohl-Munro is a mother of three children at BMIS currently in grades 1, 8, and 11, who have been educated in 6 international schools. Kristen has taken up leadership, technical, and advisory roles spanning admissions, tuition and billing, communications, curriculum development, creative arts, and parent-teacher relationships.
Mujobu Moyo is a development economist with over a decade of experience in research and policy engagement. She has worked at organizations such as the World Bank, the Center for Global Development (CGD), the International Growth Center (IGC), and Economic Development Initiatives (EDI). Throughout her career, she has been instrumental in fostering demand-driven research initiatives and facilitating meaningful dialogue between policymakers and researchers. She holds an MSc in Economics for Development from the University of Oxford. Mujo is a Tanzanian national and has two children at BMIS in grades 7 and 3.
Limbani is a Malawian and works in Corporate Affairs and Communications has one child in primary.“I have quite a long history with BMIS. Starting from 2011 with my first son (Christian) to 2021 and our second son (Ivan) from 2016 to date…I have 24 years of proven experience working in both commercial and public sector spheres where I have gathered skills in strategic leadership, marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, and managing stakeholder relations with great insights into corporate governance and cultural diversity.”
Riz is Malawian born, having completed his primary and secondary education in Malawi before moving on to the UK to pursue higher education studies in horticulture and agriculture. He has since applied his skill set in the agriculture development and investment space in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and the wider Southern Africa region. Co-opted to the BoT in September 2023 [Serve at large and supporting committees]. He is married with 2 children, his first born daughter is currently in primary at BMIS.
