The MSF Advisory Board supports the Director and the School Leadership Team in strategy, quality assurance and school development. The Advisory Board includes three experienced school directors with decades of local and international school leadership experience, a lawyer and tax consultant and both elected and nominated parent representatives.
Daniel Schmitz (Board Chair) An IB Diploma graduate of the International School of Düsseldorf, Mr. Schmitz has 30 years of experience in financial services as Managing Director of Goldman, Sachs & Co., Partner of CVC Capital Partners and as an independent investor and entrepreneur. From 2010 to 2017, Mr Schmitz was a seed investor and Director of Wichtel Akademie München GmbH, a group of kindergartens and childcare centres. Mr Schmitz is the father of three MSF students; his family has been part of the MSF community since 2010.
Thomas Braun has 20 years of experience as a teacher and school leader in Germany. He is currently Co-Director of BBS Neuwied, the largest private vocational training school in the state of Rhineland Palatinate (Rheinland Pfalz). His responsibilities on the Board include personnel, curriculum, organisational matters, school legal issues and the coordination of the MSF Scholarship Programme.
Cornelia Donner has over 40 years experience in education at the primary and secondary levels. After 25 years as a teacher and school adminstrator in the United States, she became the founding head of the Berlin Metropolitan School and later headed the Berlin Bilingual School. Ms Donner was a member of the MSF Board from 2007 to 2016 before she joined MSF as the Secondary Principal in 2016. After Ms Donner’s retirement in 2020, she rejoined the MSF Board as a consultant.
Cathie Mullen has served as Director of the International School Augsburg since 2005 and has been a board member of the Association of German International Schools since 2016. Her prior experience includes the position of Lower School Principal at the International School of Stuttgart, as well as teaching posts in Ireland and the Bahamas. Ms Mullen has run her own drama school and pursued a career in theatre.
Vera Pütz is Head Parent Representative at Metropolitan School Frankfurt. After graduating in International Business and Marketing studies in Germany and South Africa, Mrs Pütz worked both in finance and marketing in Chicago and Germany. Her first son joined Metropolitan School in 2008, and his three brothers followed in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
Wolfgang Sietzy joined the MSF Board with more than 20 years of experience as a tax, accounting and legal expert (StB, Wp, RA). Following his early years with Arthur Andersen, Mr Sietzy started his own consulting business in Bad Soden, advising on mid-sized (“Mittelstand”) clients and private educational institutions on tax, accounting and legal matters. Since his retirement, Mr. Sietzy serves on the board on the Taunus Sparkasse and is active in local politics.
Emma Smith is Deputy Parent Representative at Metropolitan School Frankfurt. Mrs Smith graduated in International Business and Language studies in Scotland. She worked in the whisky industry before moving to Germany in 2003, where she continued her career in international liaison and marketing. Mrs Smith’s daughter started at MSF in 2008 and her son joined in 2010.
Paulina Sobczyk joined the MSF Advisory Board with extensive experience in international finance. After receiving degrees in Public Administration from Jagiellonian University in Poland and in Strategic Marketing from London University, Mrs Sobczyk worked for “Breast Cancer Now”, the largest breast cancer not-for-profit in England. Since relocating to Germany in 2005, Ms Sobczyk has worked as an accountant and payroll specialist at an international tax and accounting firm. Her daughters joined MSF in 2011.
