GOVERNANCE

ISS Board of Trustees

Board Mission
“To advance the strategy, vision and mission of ISS, we are a board that is clear and aligned on roles, accountabilities and direction, while always keeping a student focus in our decisions.

The ISS Board of Trustees will strive to have different backgrounds and qualifications represented in the team, and will role model a board that promotes diversity, ensures honest confidential discourse and acts as advocates for the school in the external community.”

Board Authority
1. All executive authority of ISS shall be vested in the Board, and the Board may delegate such authority, as it deems necessary
2. The Board shall establish the policies of ISS and supervise their implementation
3. The Board shall appoint the Director and determine the terms and conditions of his or her contract
4. The Board requires a Full Board Vote to set:

a. Board policy
b. Employ or dismiss the Director
c. Amend the by-Laws

5. The Board shall annually set the tuition fees for ISS
6. The Board shall annually approve the salary and benefits guidelines for the employees of ISS
7. The Board shall annually review and approve the ISS budget
8. The Board shall annually approve the ISS calendar
9. The Board shall approve the creation of new positions
10. Individual Board members shall have no authority to act except in meetings of the assembled Board or by specific designation by the Board
11. The Board shall review the policy manual and by-laws annually in line with the key decision calendar, with a full revision every five years linked to the accreditation process

Board Role & Principles
1. Support ISS mission, philosophies and objectives
2. Maintain a child focus in all decision-making
3. Be responsible to the institution as a whole, not a single agenda/constituency
4. Avoid raising individual matters/concerns, unless broad policy implications are involved
5. Act collectively; authority to speak/represent/act for the Board comes from the Board
6. Remain optimistic and honour Board decisions
7. Support school programmes
8. Be advocates for the institution, guardians of due process and maintain confidentiality
9. Continue to place the day-to-day operational responsibility and accountability in the hands of the Director
10. Participate in Board training opportunities

Board Responsibilities
1. Become familiar with and abide by the governing directives
2. Become familiar with ISS by-laws and school policy
3. Be able to explain school policies and procedures when constituents ask questions
4. Set a high priority on attending Board and committee meetings
5. Read the Board agenda and background material prior to Board meetings
6. Observe parliamentary procedure and act courteously during meetings
7. Participate in Board evaluation programmes and training opportunities
8. Maintain the Board references and turn them over to my successor or the Board Chair upon departure
9. The Board shall review the recommended candidates for the post of Principal
10. Serve as a committee chair or vice chair where required

Board Team Ground Rules
1. We show support, respect and trust
2. We respect confidentiality
3. We never forget that students are the reason we are here
4. We never represent an individual agenda
5. We manage conflict by confronting issues and inappropriate behaviours
6. We communicate honestly, ‘actively’ listen, value diversity of opinion and; respect differences

Board Meeting Ground Rules
1. We reserve the operational part of our meetings for reporting by the administration
2. Administration reports centre around deviations and major issues
3. We focus on risk and mitigating actions
4. We keep committee reports short and to the point
5. Our discussions are time-efficient and focused
6. We conclude with action items and deadlines
7. We evaluate our meetings to ensure continuous improvement

When appointed as a member of the Board of Trustees of the International School of Stavanger (ISS), each Board member attests that they have read and understood the above and also understands that their primary duty is to govern ISS in accordance with the by-laws and the policy manual. They also affirm that they are committed to the well-being of ISS and to the effective operation of the Board of Trustees.

I love the fact that all members of the staff have knowledge of and input on my children, from other teachers to the Director. This really adds to their sense of belonging. – Parent Feedback from Annual Family Survey

2022-2023 Annual Report

Board Member Biographies

Åshild Hanne Larsen is our Chair of the Board of Trustees and is Vice President for Subsurface Excellence & Digital in Equinor. Åshild started her career with Equinor – then Statoil – in 1993 and has broad experience both from professional and executive roles primarily within HR and IT, including leadership of corporate projects and large-scale organisational change efforts. Prior to taking on the VP Subsurface role, she was Equinor’s global CIO (Chief Information Officer) and before that held the position as Vice President for People & Organisation in Statoil’s Technology, projects and Drilling business area. Åshild holds a specialist MBA from Heriot Watt University in the UK, as well as a Master of Arts degree from Universität Bielefeld in Germany. On a personal level, she is passionate about learning and development, and gets her energy from working with great people who want to make a difference. When she is not at work, she enjoys travelling, reading on her Kindle and spending time with friends, her husband and their two daughters.

Ann Saeland is the ISS Board Vice Chair and is the Chief HR Officer for Aibel. Previously, she has worked in the oil and gas industry for Schlumberger as HR Manager for Scandinavia. Her career in the oil and gas industry spans 25 years and she has worked in London and Stavanger. Ann is married with two grown children and has held a previous school board position at the International School of Bergen.

Arne Thorsen Kolle is the Board Treasurer. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Université de Toulouse and a Master of Science degree in International Business from SKEMA Business School in France. Arne is currently the Commercial Manager at Technology Centre Mongstad, seconded from Shell, where he, over his 12 years with the company, has held several roles within finance, commercial and project management. He takes a big interest in international education having done most of his studies abroad. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, running and wine.

Phillip Madsen is the NATO Representative on the International School of Stavanger Board. Phillip arrived in Stavanger assigned to NATO’s Joint Warfare Centre in 2019, and has served on the ISS Board since 2022. Phillip earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and his Master’s Degree in Defense Analysis (Financial Management) from the US Naval Post-Graduate School in Monterrey, California. He is currently pursuing a NATO-sponsored professional doctorate at Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales, UK, focusing on individual and organizational learning processes under pressure & uncertainty. Phillip enjoys travelling and exploring the outdoors with his wife and their two children.

Richard Fiskå joined the ISS board in 2020. He has more than 25 years in the O&G industry and have been employed by SLB since 2001. During this period he have had several position with the company, primarily within HR. He is currently the HR Business Partner for Well Construction Division. Prior to this he was the Industrial and union relations manager. Through the various assignments Richard have had several roles in industry committees with the employer association, Offshore Norge. He have also served as the industry representative for the dispute resolution comittee (Tvisteløsningsnemda). Richard have a family and two grown up boys. Outside of work he enjoys being active, running and biking as well as watching a broad variety of sports.

Kinga Zwierzchowska is our parent elect representative. Born and raised in Warsaw Kinga has her master degree from University of Warsaw, Faculty of Law and Administration in addition to course in American Law at the University of Florida and studies in investment process organised by the Warsaw School of Economics.
Kinga has moved to Stavanger in 2007 due to her husband’s work. Since 2016 she has been working as an associate lawyer in one of Stavanger’s law offices – Tingmann AS. Along with her job she is active in organisations supporting Polish society in Norway. Prior to moving to Norway, she worked in various companies mostly as an in house lawyer with primary focus in commercial and construction law. She is married and has two children attending 5th and 8th grade in ISS. In her free time she enjoys traveling, cooking and sports.

Siv Hanne Øverby joined the ISS Board in 2022. She holds a Master of Science (Siv. Øk.) degree from the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (NHH) and has been working in the oil and gas industry for more than 30 years. She is currently Director of Finance Business Support in ConocoPhillips Norway and has a broad background from Norway and the US within the areas of Financial Analysis, Strategic Planning, JV Management and Commercial. After attending BI’s Board program some years ago, this opportunity to serve on the ISS Board was very interesting. Siv Hanne is married with three children. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family, particularly at her cabin – skiing during wintertime and hiking during the summer.

Nikolas (Nik) Bishop is our ISS Director. Nik is a British citizen who has set his roots in Sweden (married to Maria who is Swedish). Graduating from London University, Nik started teaching mathematics in the UK back in the 80’s before starting his international career. Having spent nine years in leadership in Qatar, he ventured further East to lead British international schools in Malaysia and China and then to Africa for nine years to lead a three programme IB school.

Nik has served on the boards of various regional educational organisations including the IB Heads’ Council, the Association of International Schools in Africa and the Federation of British International Schools in South East Asia. Nik also has a strong background in accreditation and regularly leads team visits to accredit schools for The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the Council for International Schools (CIS). Nik has been serving on the NEASC Commission for International Education for the past four years, a role that is both rewarding and insightful.

While it is tempting to think of a mathematician as being dominated by numbers and scores, Nik’s passion for education is actually more driven by the need for children to have the skills and aptitudes that will help them be successful in a complex and dynamic world that is the future. While he values academic success, he continually strives to broaden the ways in which individual’s strengths and talents can be recognised.

“There are no classes for grit, perseverance, problem-solving, collaboration, ingenuity and creativity, and yet these are exactly the approaches that will be required of successful students as they transition to adulthood in years to come. However, there are many ways in which these skills and attitudes can be developed throughout the curriculum, and that’s exactly what an international education at ISS provides.“

Rebecca Vetnes is our staff elect for 2021-2023. Rebecca has worked at ISS since 2004. She moved here with her Norwegian husband and has made Norway her home. She has two children who attend ISS and is dedicated and invested both as an educator and parent to ISS. Her educational career has been spent predominantly in the primary school at ISS, but she has also taught in both middle and high school in the United States before moving to Norway. She has a varied educational background graduating from Ohio University with a Masters in Business Administration before completing her teaching education in Texas. Rebecca has been involved in many facets of ISS – coaching, AMU representative and Language Arts curricular lead for the primary school. Currently, Rebecca is heading the Common Ground Collaborative initiative at ISS that puts student engagement, 21st century skills and impactful learning at its forefront. She is currently a 4th grade teacher who is driven by student ingenuity and fostering a learning environment that promotes curiosity, engagement and character.