Appointment of New Principal for POWIIS (Secondary)

Dinah Hawtree will join POWIIS as the third Principal of The Prince of Wales Island International School (POWIIS) from September 2020 after four very successful years leading Garden International School on Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard.

With school leadership experience which spans almost twenty years and three continents. Mrs.Hawtree was previously the Head of Secondary for Nord Anglia International School in Shanghai, the Principal of St. Dominic’s International School in Portugal, as well as Head of Senior School in The British School of Manila for four years.

Dinah is passionate about providing exceptional educational experiences for extraordinary young people. She believes that balancing academic studies with a range of opportunities to develop soft skills, through participation in sports, the arts or community service, is essential to prepare our young people for the challenges of tomorrow’s world.

Well known in the eider education circles; she sits on the Board of FOBISIA, where she oversees professional development across the network of 70 schools, and she is a lead evaluator for the Council of International Schools, leading teams visiting schools applying for accreditation. She is also an accredited facilitator on the UCL Institute of Education training courses for middle and senior leaders in education.

Outside of school, Dinah enjoys watching and playing rugby, squash and badminton, as well as yoga and scuba diving. She has a love of impressionist art and of musical theatre. She enjoys travelling and learning new languages, and will be coming to Penang with her husband, Robert, who is a retired accountant. They are both looking forward to getting to know the POWIIS community, and to exploring the sights and delicious food in Penang.