Governing Board of Directors

Dr. Sherman Jen
Board Chair

Founder and Chairman
Maple Leaf Educational Systems

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Jingxia Zhang
Director | Executive Director丨 Chief Financial Officer


Jingxia Zhang (“Ms. Zhang”),  aged 64, is our Executive Director and chief financial officer. She was appointed as a Director in March 2008 and was re-designated as an Executive Director and co-chief financial officer, both taking effect on 28 November 2014. Ms. Zhang was re-designated from co-chief financial officer to chief financial officer of our Company on 16 June 2015. Ms. Zhang joined the Group in April 1995 and is primarily responsible for the overall management and financial operations of the schools in our Group. Ms. Zhang is one of the key members of the management team of the Company and has made important contributions to the Group.


Prior to joining our Group, Ms. Zhang was the director of finance of Jilin Province Dunhua City Pharmaceutical Factory, a Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturer, where Ms. Zhang was responsible for managing its accounts and financial operations. Ms. Zhang has not held any directorship roles in any other listed companies in the last three years.


Ms. Zhang received her Financial Accounting diploma by distance learning from Jilin Accounting School, the PRC in July 1991.


James W. Beeke
Director | Executive Director | Superintendent of Global Education


James William Beeke (“Mr. Beeke”),  aged 71, is our Executive Director and superintendent of global education (other than the PRC) of the Group. He was appointed as a Director in April 2014 and was re-designated as an Executive Director taking effect on 28 November 2014. Mr. Beeke has been appointed as a member of our remuneration committee with effect from 26 August 2020. Mr. Beeke was also appointed as a director of Canadian International School Pte. Ltd., an indirect subsidiary of the Company, on 26 August 2020. Mr. Beeke previously served as the vice chairman of the Board and the superintendent of the British Columbia Program (“BC Program”) of the Group from 2005 to 2009 and again from 2014 to 2016. Mr. Beeke was appointed as the superintendent of global education (other than the PRC) of the Group and ceased to be the superintendent of the BC Program of the Group with effect from 15 August 2016. Mr. Beeke is primarily responsible for overseeing the development of the Group’s educational programs outside of the PRC.


Prior to joining our Group, Mr. Beeke was employed by the British Columbia (“BC”) provincial government as deputy inspector, and later, inspector for the Ministry of Education of the BC provincial government from 1996 to 1998 and from 1998 to 2005, respectively. As inspector, he was responsible for the inspection, certification and funding of all independent schools in the province, and developed and directed BC’s Offshore School Certification Program. Since September 2009, he has been president of Signum International Educational Services Inc., a company which provides educational consultant services to schools in Canada and internationally, where he was responsible for assisting schools with board governance and strategic development planning, performing school reviews, conducting principal evaluations and providing analysis and comparisons of provincial curricula. Mr. Beeke has not held any directorship roles in any other listed companies in the last three years.


Mr. Beeke received his Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Arts degree from Western Michigan University in Michigan, United States, in December 1971 and August 1973, respectively. He received the Certificate of Qualification from the British Columbia Teachers in June 1991, Certificate of Recognition from the British Columbia Minister of Education in 1991, Certificates of Recognition from the Chinese Consulate (Vancouver, Canada) and from British Columbia Ministry of Education in June 2005 and Certificate of Honorary Award from Liaoning Provincial Government of the PRC in 2006.

Peter Humphrey Owen
Director | Independent Non-executive Director


Peter Humphrey Owen (“Mr. Owen”),  aged 74, was appointed as an Independent Non-executive Director in June 2014, and was appointed as a chairman of our remuneration committee and a member of our audit committee and nomination and corporate governance committee, all taking effect on 28 November 2014. Mr. Owen is primarily responsible for supervising and providing independent judgment to our Board.


Prior to joining the Group, Mr. Owen served as the vice chair of the Workers Compensation Review Board of BC in 1986. He subsequently held various positions at the Ministry of Education of the BC provincial government until May 2011, including the positions of director, executive director, and assistant deputy minister, responsible for education related legislation, governance, international education, policy and planning, and a variety of program areas. Mr. Owen has not held any directorship roles in any other listed companies in the last three years.


Mr. Owen received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Simon Fraser University, Canada in May 1976 and a Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) from the University of British Columbia, Canada in May 1979.

Dr. Alan Shaver
Director | Independent Non-executive Director


Alan Shaver (“Mr. Shaver”), aged 74, was appointed as an Independent Non-executive Director and a member of audit committee, remuneration committee and nomination and corporate governance committee, all taking effect from 31 August 2019. Mr. Shaver is primarily responsible for supervising and providing independent judgment to our Board.


Mr. Shaver was appointed as a member of the Academic Advisory Board of Studiosity, an on-demand study help service provider, on 1 January 2021. He ceased to act as a member and the chairman of the board of directors of Innovate BC, a BC provincial Crown Agency whose mission is to promote the growth of BC’s high tech economy, with effect from 16 March 2021. Prior to that, Mr. Shaver served as the president and vice chancellor of Thompson Rivers University from 2010 to 2018, and served as the vice president academic and provost of Dalhousie University from 2006 to 2010. From 1975 to 2006, Mr. Shaver held various positions in McGill University, including assistant professor, associate professor, professor, chair of the Department of Chemistry, and dean of the Faculty of Science. He also worked at the University of Western Ontario from 1972 to 1975, where he served as a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow and Department of Chemistry teaching fellow. Mr. Shaver has not held any directorship roles in any other listed companies in the last three years.


Mr. Shaver completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Carleton University majoring in chemistry in 1969, and obtained his doctorate degree in Organometallic Chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1972.