Misk Schools in Saudi Arabia has announced the appointment of Dr Steffen Sommer as its new director general
Dr Sommer joined Misk Schools in August 2022 from Doha College in Qatar, where he had been principal since 2015. During his seven-year tenure, Doha College became the first school in the world to receive the title of “High Performance Learning World Class School” and grew to be one of the largest and most successful schools in the region.
At Misk, Dr Sommer will replace director general Brendan Law who said he wanted the schools to “change the paradigm of education in Saudi Arabia”. Mr Law has moved to the post of executive principal at the Wuxi Dipont School of Arts and Sciences in China.
Commenting on his new role, Dr Sommer said: “I am privileged to be taking on one of the most compelling opportunities anywhere in the international K-12 sector. My overriding goal is to deliver on the vision of our founder, His Royal Highness, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, to educate the future leaders of society, nurturing globally minded enterprising learners, advanced performers, and accomplished leaders.”
He said one of his first priorities would be to oversee the schools’ move to their new state-of-the-art campus.
Born in Germany, Dr Sommer gained his first degree in language and linguistics at the University of Leipzig. After a period of military service and teacher training, he left to work in business in France with the car maker Peugeot, and studied for a PhD in Birmingham, UK, before finding his vocation in teaching.
During his career, Dr Sommer has led top international schools in The Hague, Paris, Champittet Switzerland, and most recently, in Doha. He also has extensive experience of life in a British boarding school having been head of languages and a housemaster at Rugby School in England, one of the country’s top independent boarding schools.
Dr Sommer is a board member of the Outstanding Schools of the Middle East, Vice Chairman of the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) and a Fellow of High Performance Learning.