Board Members
Thamila Zaher
Board Chair / Executive Director of Grupo SEB
Executive Director of the SEB Education Group since 2011, Thamila Zaher holds a degree in Law and Administration from the Centro Universitário UniSEB, a postgraduate degree in Education from PUC-RS (Pontifícia Universidade Católica, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) and an MBA in Strategic and Economic Business Management from the Fundação Getúlio Vargas (São Paulo, Brasil). In 2019, she concluded the courses "Leading the Change" from Harvard University Graduate School of Education and "Leading Digital Transformation" by the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD). With more than 10 years of experience in many areas of Grupo SEB, Thamila is a member of the Board of the SEB Institute and a member of the Board of Directors. She is also co-author of the book Tax Law and Education, by MPEditora.
Rodney Briggs
Board Member / Founder of Maple Bear Global Schools
A graduate of the University of Manitoba with an MA in Political Science, Rodney served as a Canadian diplomat from 1981 to 1996 with postings to Canada's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, the Kingdom of Thailand, the People's Republic of China, and the Republic of Korea. He also served as President of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers.
In 1996, he joined the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada as the Vice-President responsible for the Canadian Education Centre Network project and in 1997 became the first President of the newly-formed non-profit company, the Canadian Education Centre Network. In this capacity he was responsible for building the network from three centres in the Asia-Pacific region into an entity with a presence in 17 countries spanning the globe. While with the CEC Network, Rodney conceived and developed the Maple Bear education system. In March 2007, he purchased Maple Bear from the CEC Network.
As President of Maple Bear Global Schools he traveled extensively, expanding Maple Bear’s global footprint to over twenty countries.
In March 2021, Rodney retired from his operating role as President & CEO of Maple Bear Global Schools. He remains active as Board Chair and a shareholder in the company.
Chaim Zaher
Board Member / Founder & President of Grupo SEB
Born in Lebanon, Chaim Zaher is an entrepreneur, founder and president of Grupo SEB (Sistema Educacional Brasileiro), based in Brazil and one of the largest educational groups in the world. Focused in building, expanding and innovating in the education sector, the Grupo SEB is dedicated to helping students throughout the world reach their full potential and prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. Among many companies and initiatives including the SEB Institute, which provides services to children in vulnerable situations, Grupo SEB supports Maple Bear's global operations.
Thalita Zaher
Board Member
Executive Director of Grupo SEB (Sistema Educacional Brasileiro) since 2011, Thalita Zaher has a degree in Law from the Centro Universitário UniSEB, a postgraduate degree in Administration from Insper (Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa, São Paulo, Brazil) and in Human Sciences: Sociology, History and Philosophy from PUC-RS (Pontifícia Universidade Católica, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). In 2019, she concluded the "Leading Digital Transformation" course at the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD). With over 17 years of experience in diverse areas of Grupo SEB, Thalita is a member of the Group's Board of Directors.
James Briggs
Board Member
James Briggs worked in several capacities for Maple Bear before assuming the role of Director, Finance and Business Development which encompassed assessing potential new owners of Maple Bear schools in addition to managing Maple Bear’s global joint venture partnerships. He is still active as a shareholder and a Board Member.