Our Staff

Brian Burns
Director

Brian Burns

Brian joined ISI way back in 2001 as Marketing Director and became its Managing Director in 2006. Prior to joining ISI, Brian travelled the world teaching English in France, Quebec and Japan. As well as being a qualified English language teacher, Brian has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and French Literature from University College Galway (NUIG) and a Master’s Degree in Theatre Practice from University College Dublin (UCD). Outside ISI he has been involved in theatre, as an actor, a writer and a director. After nearly 25 years in the EFL business, Brian still loves the buzz and excitement of working at ISI with so many wonderful students, staff and teachers. Coco, his dog, loves ISI too, so much so, that she hangs out there every day!

James Dorrian
Director

James Dorrian

James joined ISI in 2007 as a Director. He is a graduate of the Institute of Technology Sligo and worked as a Surveyor in the construction and engineering industries for many years before becoming a partner in ISI. He has a keen interest in art and design, which is strongly reflected in the interior design of ISI’s buildings. He believes in creating a study environment which encourages students to be creative and to express themselves. James enjoys painting every week and has recently started to exhibit his work.

CEO
CEO

Gregory Ledgard-Hoile

Prior to joining ISI Dublin, Greg held a number of senior positions in the international education industry including roles at board level in the UK, USA, China, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland. Greg was educated at London College of Printing and London University, where he studied History of Art. After qualifying as an English language teacher in 1992, Greg started his own school in Italy, returning to the UK each year to run summer schools. Since then, he has gained extensive experience of large-scale operations in English language teaching for adults and young learners, preschool education, vocational training, K-12 schools, teacher training and educational publishing. Greg is Chair of Governors at Chipping Norton School in Oxfordshire.

Jennifer Diaz Green - School Director
School Director

Jennifer Diaz Green

Jen Diaz Green has been involved in ELT education for over 20 years in both Argentina and Ireland. She has a Degree in English Language Teaching from Argentina and a Master’s Degree in Education from Trinity College Dublin. She’s been an EFL teacher, an Academic Manager, a Teacher Trainer and most recently School Director. She’s in charge of quality standards, operational effectiveness and leadership in the company. Her favourite parts of her job are team building, human connections and wellbeing. In her free time, Jen is a busy mum of 2. She loves nice veggie food and yoga.

Marcelo Lopez Anido
School Manager

Marcelo Lopez Anido

Born in Argentina, Marcelo started working at ISI Dublin in 2019, having spent the previous ten years living in New Zealand, Australia and Malta. He is a graduate of Marketing from the  University of Buenos Aires in 1999, and in 2007 he finished his training in Graphic Design and in 2009 became a professional Webmaster. Marcelo also has a diploma in Human Resources, working in that area for more than 7 years before finally turning to his passion, marketing. He likes sports, he loves basketball, a sport that he has played all his life. He loves to travel, visit new places and face new challenges. What he likes about ISI Dublin is being surrounded by an exceptional group of staff, and working to increase awareness of the school, throughout the world. He feels that ISI Dublin is a place of great diversity and cultures.

Nicoly Wapenik
Partnership Manager

Nicoly Wapenik

Born in Brazil, Nicoly was an exchange student in Ireland in 2014 and during this experience discovered a passion for traveling, living new experiences and getting to know different cultures. That’s why she decided to work with exchange programs: to help other people find their passions. In 2019 she returned to Ireland to make this country her home. A graduate in Interior Design, Nicoly loves art and everything related to stationery, she is always ‘needing’ a new pen!

Sarah McGovern
High School Programme Manager

Sarah McGovern

Sarah has worked on the High School Programme at ISI since 2016. Before that, she graduated from Dublin City University with a degree in Applied Languages and Translation Studies. As part of her studies, Sarah spent an Erasmus year in the south of France where she attended university. After her studies at DCU, Sarah returned to France for an academic year where she taught English to high school students. She then spent two years living in Vancouver, Canada. She loves working with the team at ISI and having the opportunity to welcome amazing teenagers to the High School Programme each year.

Ricardo Sarabia Roque
Admissions Manager

Ricardo Sarabia Roque

Ricardo started his journey at ISI Dublin as a student back in 2018. He was so captivated by the school and staff that he happily joined the ISI family. He has been working in various roles since he joined the team. Currently, he is working in a marketing and sales support role. He was born in Mexico and graduated from IPN with a degree in International Business in Mexico City. Currently is attending the CCT College Dublin where he is studying Data Analytics. His previous roles in Mexico involved 5+ years of experience in international trade and consulting. He considers himself a smiley and friendly person. A sports person, he loves playing basketball, boxing and swimming.

Maebh Cotter
High School Programme Coordinator

Maebh Cotter

Maebh graduated from Dublin City University with a bachelor’s degree in education and training. She also has a higher diploma in human resource management from Dublin Business School. Maebh worked in real estate for over 8 years, but prior to that she worked as a special needs assistant in a high school and worked with younger children on a one-to-one basis. Maebh has a love of cats, with her two cats named after her favourite Disney movie The Lion King – Nala and Simba. In Maebh’s spare time she loves going to the gym, cycling, hiking, and watching her favourite football team Liverpool FC. Maebh’s main passion in life is travel, with her having been to over 35 countries and counting!

Accommodation Administrator

Adriane Laurindo

Adriane was born in Brazil, and in 2019, she came to Ireland to study English for three weeks as a student at ISI Dublin. She genuinely fell in love with the country, that she returned in 2022 to make Ireland her new home. With a background in administration and prior experience in the financial sector in Brazil, she now works at ISI as an accommodation administrator. Adriane thoroughly enjoys assisting new exchange students in realizing their dreams, much like she did.

Maija Gobja
Cafe & Facilities Manager

Maija Goba

Since 2006 Maija has been part of the ISI Dublin team, but it was in 2015 when the ISI Cafes first opened, that Maija became a Cafe and Facility manager. Born in Latvia and a graduate from the College of Commercial Merchandise, she also speaks three languages – Latvian, Russian and English. It was back in 2002 when Maija left Latvia to visit Dublin, Ireland – a country over 2000km away! Since then, Maija has fallen in love with the city and its people. The best thing about being part of the ISI team is being part of a friendly and supportive team and she loves meeting people from all over the world.

Junior Programme Coordinator
Junior Programme Coordinator

Andrei Mariea

Born in Romania but raised in Spain, Andrei has blended the best of two cultures into his daily life. He speaks Catalan, Romanian, Spanish, and English, and his passion for languages constantly drives him to explore new linguistic horizons. Currently, he is completing his final year in IT to become an IT technician, with future plans to specialize in cybersecurity. His love for technology stemmed from an early passion for computers, nurtured by his previous experience in administration in a factory in Barcelona. Additionally, his background includes leadership roles such as kitchen manager, section leader, and supervisor, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of both the technical and interpersonal aspects of various industries.

Marketing Administrator
Marketing Administrator

Olive Huang

Olive is deeply passionate about creatives, communication, and branding. She earned her MSc in Marketing from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. Beyond her professional life, she finds joy in photography, hiking, and exploring new places. Olive values the importance of diversity in teamwork, particularly in settings focused on language learning. One of her most cherished quotes is ‘Stay hungry, stay foolish’. With an ever-evolving approach to learning, she eagerly assists students on their educational path.

Receptionist

Nayara Meireles

Nayara was born in Brazil, currently living in Dublin and working as a receptionist at ISI English School. She has a degree in law and has worked for five years at the Sao Paulo court of law. Traveling and getting to know new cultures is her passion, and that was what motivated her to live outside her country.

Melissa Olivas Garcia
Social Programme Coordinator

Melissa Olivas Garcia

Born in Mexico, she started as student in ISI in 2023 and then she joined to ISI staff in 2024, starting in the canteen and now she is working as Social Programme Coordinator. She has a degree in Engineering Management and more than 5 years of experience in Sales and Operations related to international distribution of electronic components. She considers herself confident, friendly, and really enjoys to forging relationships with people from different countries and cultures, always looking for creates new experiences.

Receptionist

Anita topa

From Naples in Italy, Anita has lived in Dublin since 2006. With a 5-year Italian Diploma in languages, Anita’s dream is to learn to speak at least 5 languages fluently. So far, she is over half way there – Italian, English and Spanish!  An outgoing person, she is always ready to help when possible. In her free time, Anita likes to train, spend time with her dog and friends, go to the seaside and travel. Anita comes from a background in hospitality and loves to be in contact with people and is part of the reception team at ISI Dublin.

Support IT

Alejandro Lemus

Alejandro joined ISI in 2022 as IT Support Assistant. Alejandro worked as a Developer in El Salvador for 3 years. Working in the Health industry developing systems. He is a Computer Science Engineer with a Diploma in CCNA (Cisco Certified Networking Associate). He is doing a Master of Science in Cybersecurity at NCI. He speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and English. He likes learning and challenging things on his life. In his free time, he loves gathering with family and friends and cooking international dishes.

Katherine Castillo
Accommodation Assistant

Katherine Castillo

Born in El Salvador, Katherine started her journey at ISI Dublin as a student back in 2022. The school has been part of her growth since she arrived in Dublin, receiving the necessary advice from the teachers and staff, she has now joined the ISI Dublin family, helping new students find accommodation by making them feel warm and safe as she felt with ISI from her first day. She has a degree in Foreign Affairs, Katherine enjoys traveling, getting to know new cultures, and having fun.