BOARD MEMBERS

Ms. Michelle Hervy (Board Chair)

Michelle, a British citizen, settled in Sri Lanka in 2020 with her two sons and husband. Originally from the Northwest of England, Michelle has lived and worked in England, U.S.A and India.
Originally starting out in childcare, Michelle switched paths and has spent most of her career in global outsourcing for companies based in both the US and the UK. Her experience lies in the Learning and Leadership development arena, working for various markets in retail, financial and telecommunication, involving conducting regular risk assessments, implementing appropriate controls, and monitoring financial performance.

Since settling in Sri Lanka, Michelle started the company MH Academy, a training academy specializing in women’s wellbeing into midlife, based in Colombo and working in both corporate and individual settings.

As a board member, Michelle is passionate about equality within OSC, Michelle is driven by a fervent belief in creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment where every student feels valued and empowered to succeed. Michelle is keen to use her experience in the global community to support the school in delivering its mission.

Mr. Micah Olad

Micah Olad is an International Development expert with over 17 years of work experience. He has
extensively worked with governments, leaders, and other stakeholders in both Africa and Asia, to
push the agenda of the world’s most marginalised women and children through public health and
policy advocacy efforts. He is a strategist and change management expert, leading Save the
Children’s largest US grant as Chief of Party for the PALAM/A project in Sri Lanka, supporting the
ongoing Government school feeding programme in over 850 schools, with funding from the USDA.
He has worked in Laos, Sierra Leone, and Ghana. Micah, during his early career, conducted
formative surveys and designed SBCC (social behavioural change communication) modules, to
promote optimum school health and nutrition, particularly for rural schools. He is an active member of the World Public Health Nutrition Association. He holds a Master of Public Health degree from the Mountcrest University, a PgD in occupational health, safety and environmental management from Greenhill College, and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Catholic University, all from his home country Ghana. He has 3 sons at OSC.

Mr. Subramaniam Eassuwaren

Subramaniam Eassuwaren is Deputy Chairman of Eswaran Brothers Exports (Pvt) Ltd. (http://www.eswaran.com), the tea exporting arm of the Eswaran Brothers group, and Tprint(Pvt) Ltd., a leading label printing company. He attended Oxford University. He is committed to transforming his 75 year old family business into the most sustainable tea company in the world. In 2017 he was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship.

He is also a founding director of the Carbon Consulting Company (http://www.carbonconsultco.com) and the Conservation Carbon Company (http://www.conservecarbon.org) which specialise in using financial mechanisms to create unique solutions to Sri Lanka’s environmental problems. 
 

Mr. Antoine Hellings

Antoine, a Belgian citizen, arrived in Sri Lanka in July 2024 as an accompanying spouse with their two children attending OSC in grades 1 and 6. Originally from Belgium, he has lived and worked in France. He has a master's degree in Business Administration and Marketing.

Before coming to Sri Lanka, Antoine was working in France for the German company Bosch, as Key Account Manager and then as Sell Out Marketing Manager. He was also responsible for creating the product catalog for the Siemens brand. Expert in negotiating and digital marketing, he dedicated his time to create long-term business relationships with retailers and increase customer satisfaction. 

In France and Sri Lanka (with the French association “Colombo Accueil”), Antoine is part of the associative world, seeking above all to create links and solidarity between people.

Antoine looks forward to supporting the school in its future development.

Ms. Darshana Venugopal

Darshana is an Australian citizen and is currently working as a Public Diplomacy Officer in the Australian High Commission. She has lived in India, Australia, the USA, Ethiopia and Myanmar and has been residing in Sri Lanka since 2021. Having worked extensively in the communications industry for both nonprofit and for-profit industries, she is looking forward to using these skills to help achieve the strategic objectives of the school. 

As a parent of two children at OSC, one in primary and the other in high school, she is highly attuned to the diverse needs and challenges faced by students and parents alike. Darshana is committed to ensuring OSC is well managed and has a secure future while remaining faithful to our school mission and values.

Mr. Matthias Eder

Matthias Eder is a German citizen and has two children at OSC, in year 4 and 7 respectively. A specialist for peacebuilding and interreligious dialogue, he currently serves as Advisor for Interreligious Dialogue to the Centre for Society and Religion in Colombo, Sri Lanka, seconded by the German international development system through AGIAMONDO-CPS (Civil Peace Service).

Previously, Matthias co-founded the Institute for Interreligious Dialogue and Islamic Studies at Tangaza University College in Nairobi for AGIAMONDO-CPS, and worked there for 6 years. Other experiences include working for 3 years at KAICIID (International Centre for Interreligious Dialogue) in Vienna as Programme Manager for Tanzania, Indonesia, India, and Nigeria, and for 7 years with the UN Industrial Development Organisation, mostly in Malawi and many African countries. Matthias holds an M.A. in Political Science from Vienna University and an M.A. in Advanced International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy Vienna. In 2012, he founded and, with the help of his family and many supporters, maintains up to today a community school in Malawi, providing education opportunities for over 700 children in one of the poorest regions of the world.

Ms. Brittany Jenkins

Brittany Jenkins is a US citizen and diplomat and arrived in Sri Lanka in 2023 with her husband--also a US diplomat--and her two children and loving Labrador Retriever. She has a daughter entering 5th grade and a son entering 3rd grade at OSC.  Brittany previously lived in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (where she also served on the school board), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and many years in Washington, DC.  Brittany has been a US diplomat for nearly 20 years covering a range of political issues.  She is excited to join the Board for 2026-27 and remains committed to ensuring OSC's vibrant environment and bolstering the future of global learners and leaders. 

Mr. Benjamin Smith

Benjamin Smith, a US citizen, has lived in Sri Lanka with his wife and two children (entering Grade 2 and 3) since 2023. He has an AAS in Communication, a BS in Biology, and an MS in Ecology. While earning his masters, he taught introductory Biology labs to pre-med Majors at The George Washington University for two years. After several years as a stay-at-home father, he is now working at the US Embassy. 

Dr. Michelle Kleiss (Head of School)

A Dutch/Canadian national, Dr. Michelle Kleiss has built an international school career for the past 27 years. She started her Headship at OSC in July 2019, after 10 years as Head of School in Cyprus – another CIS/MSA and IB authorised school. Prior to Cyprus, she was a Head of School in Saudi Arabia, and an Early Childhood Principal as well as Middle School Principal in Cairo – Egypt. She has worked as a classroom teacher in Munich – Germany, in São Paulo – Brazil, and in the Dominican Republic. She has an Undergraduate Degree in Education from The American University in Washington D.C. – USA, a Master’s Degree in Education in School Administration and Instructional Supervision from Bowie State University, Maryland – USA, and a Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from Lehigh University, Pennsylvania – USA.