The HSI team is made up of experts in the fields of education, languages and student welfare, and we all share a common goal: to provide the highest level of service to each and every one of our students.

Based in our offices in Brighton (UK) and Dublin (Ireland), we are a diverse team with a variety of skills and experience. Some of us have been working on high school study abroad programmes for over 20 years, others are much newer to the education industry but are no less passionate about what we do.

Use these pages to ‘meet’ our team, and please feel free to contact any one of us if you would like to know more about who we are, what we do, or how we do it.

Declan Millar

Position: Managing Director

dmillar@hsinet.org

Contact me for:

New Business Partnerships

I have been in this business for over 30 years. I started out as a teacher in Ireland, then a teacher of English in some other countries, and finally as a director in a language school in Dublin – before starting my first company, ETE (Education Through English) in 1988, providing high school programmes in Ireland. Those of you who know me are familiar with what happened after that, but in 2002 I started my new company, HSI, in both Ireland and the UK. I have also been involved in high school operations and start-ups in the US, Canada and Australia.

I love this business and have a great network of friends and colleagues in all corners of the world. I love the impact that a high school experience has on kids and their parents and families.  This keeps me motivated and interested.

I have been fortunate with a great team of colleagues – some have been with me for 30 years and they make my life easier and a lot more enjoyable.

Although I spend a lot of time travelling, I love home life and I play really bad golf when I can.

John Carr

Position: Head of HSI

jcarr@hsinet.org

Contact me for:

Support with any issue or question that pertains to HSI Ireland

With a B.Ed degree and an MA in Education, Culture and Policy, I have over 23 years of experience in Education, Management, Business Development, and Operations roles, nationally and internationally.

A former Secondary Teacher and Principal, I have worked across secondary- and third-level schooling, as well as the English Language (ELE) Sector. I have served in Commercial, Operational and Business Development Director roles in two global education recruitment and teacher training businesses, with apex responsibility for stakeholder engagement, driving growth trajectories and improvement agendas, as well as generating strategic commercial opportunities and partnerships.

I am the Head of HSI, Ireland, which means I lead and support the team in our Dublin HQ. If I am not working from our office, I am visiting schools, host families, and students across the country to ensure that our service levels are the best that they can be and that we continue to be the best in the business.

Outside of work, I try to travel regularly but balance the separation anxiety I feel from being away from my French bulldog, Tashe (my furbaby)!

Paul Madden

Position: Finance Manager

pmadden@hsinet.org

Contact me for:

Finance Enquires

My role involves managing agency and student accounts, the day-to-day financial operations of Head Office.  In addition I oversee the area of IT and technical support.

I love working with a small team of people, having been part of larger organisations in the past.  The friendly, supportive environment of HSI makes it easier to get up in the morning and “go to work”.

Before HSI I worked in marketing and corporate affairs with a major international retail chain as well as in my father’s small wholesale business.

I play drums for fun … it keeps me sane!!

Rachelle Nelson

Position: Operations Manager

rnelson@hsinet.org

Contact me for:

UK Programme Operations

There are many aspects to my role, but it all boils to down to looking after our international students. As soon as a student arrives in the UK, it is my duty to ensure that they have a safe, successful and positive stay for the duration of their programme.

I have been a part of HSI since 2001 and love the small team environment and the people I work with. This role has also given me the opportunity to see more of the country when I visit schools and students.

Living so close to the South Downs, I’m always outdoors. I cycle everywhere and love the sense of freedom I get from exploring this area.

 

Jane McQueen

Position: Placements Manager

jmcqueen@hsinet.org

Contact me for:

Placement Support in Ireland

I graduated from Marino Institute of Education in 2016, (accredited by Trinity College Dublin) with a degree in Education Studies. This was a broad-based degree, where I had the opportunity to study adult, adolescent, and childhood education, as well as psychology, sociology, and much more!

After my final year of college, I decided to do a J1 where I lived and worked at Walt Disney World in Florida. I met people from all around the world including England, Mexico, Canada, the USA, China, and Hong Kong to name a few. I enjoy travelling, good food, and any kind of live music.

In my role as Placements Manager, I liaise with our partner agents and schools, assisting with enquiries. However, I have also acted as a part-time student advisor during my time here. I enjoy interacting with our students and getting to see more of Ireland when visiting them.

I enjoy the variety of work here at HSI, no two days are ever the same!

Lucy Singh

Position: Placements Manager

lsingh@hsinet.org

Contact me for:

Placement Support in the UK

My role is so diverse but it mainly focuses on working closely with our partner agents and schools, providing students with the most suitable programme of study here in the UK. I ensure that the enrolments process is quick and easy and I see these placements right the way through from the enquiry stage, to their final departure transfer. You will also find me dealing with the day to day running of student programmes, liaising with local host families and organising the everyday needs for our office too.

After gaining a degree in Hospitality and Event Management, I organised many events and weddings. I then took a step into the travel industry working as a coordinator for educational school trips around the world, this meant that I got to travel a lot which I loved! This really kicked off my love of working with young people and made me appreciate how beneficial this kind of experience is for our students!

I’m a people person who is always smiling. Living in the vibrant city of Brighton on the south coast of the UK, on my days off you will find me either on the beach enjoying a beer or curled up with a book if the weather is a little too cold for a beach day!

I look forward to hearing from you and working with you.

 

 

Katie Hunt

Position: Senior Student Advisor (Ireland)

Contact me for:

N/A

My name is Katie and I am a student advisor for HSI Ireland. I graduated from Marino Institute of Education (accredited from Trinity College Dublin) in 2019 with a degree in Education Studies.

I have always had an interest in working with children of all ages and abilities. I am also a qualified gymnastics coach and began coaching when I was 16 years old. I am a volunteer coach and manage my own group of gymnasts. I have plenty of experience working with children and have done so for many years now, having worked as an afterschool teacher, resource teacher and special needs assistant.

I love my role at HSI so far, travelling all around the country meeting new people, visiting the students and their host families, and working in a close-knit team. It’s very diverse and every day is different to the next.

Joe Shearer

Position: Solution Management

Contact me for:

N/A

I have worked with HSI since 2012 and became an employee in 2018. During my time with HSI, I have helped to implement many solutions including setting up our online application forms, creating an internal management Portal, setting up and managing exchange email accounts and much more. We are working hard to continue to develop new innovative solutions to help us improve service delivery to our partners and customers.

Before I became an employee at HSI I worked for an online solutions company for 7 years creating online solutions for several multinational companies.

When I am not working or looking after my 2 small children, I will either be boxing or resting!

Camilla Croucher

Position: Student Advisor (UK)

Contact me for:

N/A

I am a Student Advisor at Brighton, UK, I really enjoy this role as I get to meet so many amazing students from so many different countries. I try to match the student to the family as best as possible so that it is an enjoyable and happy experience for both the host family and the student.

Valerie Caless

Position: Student Advisor (UK)

Contact me for:

N/A

I have retired from my job as a teacher some years ago now, but I like to keep in touch with young people. Working for High Schools International gives me a great opportunity to do that. I like to travel (my last holiday was in Uzbekistan), to cook and best of all, to eat! I am addicted to Sudoku and my breakfasts of sourdough toast with homemade marmalade. I spend a lot of time with my family and am enjoying seeing my one-year-old grandson, Joe, grow and develop.

Conor Madden

Position: Student Advisor (Ireland)

Contact me for:

N/A

My name is Conor Madden and I’m a student adviser with HSI. My role includes ensuring student welfare and enrichment, coordinating with agents and liaising with schools and host families. Prior to my role as a student adviser I worked with HSI in a support capacity in operations and administration.
Outside of work I enjoy occupying myself with fitness in the gym, art with a focus on illustration and hobbyist study of ancient history.