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    Meet Our Team

    ESF Explore (part of English School Foundation) is a registered charitable organisation established in 1994, and since then has provided English language and sports programmes in ESF schools and non ESF venues. Subsequently, Spanish as a foreign language was added in 2011. We offer classes in 22 ESF schools across Hong Kong and in ESF Language & Learning Centre, which opened in Wan Chai in 2016.
    Leadership
    Language
    Language and Learning Centre
    Sports
    Pre-K
    Agatha Chan
    Programme Manager - Swimming
    About Agatha
    Here is Coach Agatha. She was a competitive swimmer at the age of 11 and started a career as a development coach after her graduation. She loves to make the atmosphere and experience fun in her lessons. She believes that a healthy body comes from a happy soul.
    Andrew MacFarlane
    Programme Manager - Basketball
    About Andrew
    Andrew is Basketball England Level 2 coach. He started playing basketball in 1990, whilst on a summer trip to Seattle (Go Sonics!). He played for Hammersmith & Fulham in the British Gas League for 5 years. Andrew has played many other sports, including Football, Rugby League, Rugby Union & Rowing.
    Jonathan Tam
    Programme Manager - Football
    About Jonathan
    Coach Jonathan joined the ESF in 2013. He has 10 years of experience and expertise in football development from grassroots to high-performance. Coming from the most renown sports university in UK to the football governing body of Hong Kong, HKFA, at ESF he is widely recognised for his enthusiasm and big smile.
    Kevin Reece
    Senior Coach, Basketball
    About Kevin
    Coach Kevin, or Coach K, from California, has been coaching professional basketball since 1991 across multiple countries. A former Division 1 player with NBA tryouts, he has won six national championships. With experience working with numerous NBA players, Coach K says, 'Shoot for the moon; because if you miss, you’re among the stars.'
    Joe Tuohy
    Programme Coordinator, Multi-Sports & Tag Rugby
    About Joe
    Born and raised in Hong Kong, Coach Joe was an ESF student too! Growing up here, he was exposed to a range of different sports, and his passion further grew by studying Sports Science at university. Now, back with ESF Sports, Coach Joe's goal is to transfer his knowledge and love of sports to the next generation.
    Man Tik Poon
    Senior Coach, Football
    About Man Tik
    Man Tik was trained at the Hong Kong Sports Institute since he was young and represented Hong Kong in many international competitions. At the age of eighteen, he was selected by a professional football team and stared his life as a professional football player. He played against Barcelona in 2007 and many other renowned football clubs.
    Dickson Chan
    Senior Coach, Swimming
    About Dickson
    Coach Dickson swam competitively for more than 10 years. He is now a professional swimming coach with over 20 years of experience. He likes to make swimming classes fun for swimmers, so they can enjoy training. He believes everyone can be a great swimmer when they enjoy swim training.
    Cherrie Chan
    Senior Coach, Swimming
    About Cherrie
    Cherrie was a former member of Hong Kong junior squad swimming team. She started her coaching career in 2002. Her mission is to bring all her experience and knowledge to the swimmers. She keeps joining swimming and triathlon competitions because they are challenging yet fun. She believes sports is a lifelong learning process.

    Melvin Yeung
    Coach, Basketball
    About Melvin
    Coach Melvin is a passionate and dedicated coach. A quote he lives by is "if you want to learn something, then teach it first", that's why he has been coaching youth players since he started basketball. He also believes that hard work beats talent, and nothing comes overnight. Melvin is also currently playing at Men’s Division B Basketball League. He hopes to share his love for the game of basketball to the next generation, and preach the joy he gets from this game!
    Jason Lau
    Coach, Basketball
    About Jason
    Coach Jason's first love is basketball, and only basketball until eternity. He developed his passion and love for basketball in 3rd grade when he first played the sport. Jason has been coaching in Hong Kong since 2019 and is now a Basketball England Level 2 coach. He hopes to share his knowledge on and off the court through basketball!
    Shaun Tobin
    Coach, Football
    About Shaun
    Playing sport from as early as he can remember, Shaun has a coaching career spanning over 10 years, coaching all ages and abilities from fun beginner classes to high level performance teams. A former ESF student himself, Shaun is passionate about how football can be an important tool in one's overall development.
    Ken Tsang
    Coach, Swimming
    About Ken
    Ken is a a very experienced swimmer and coach, have coached a lot of competitive swimmers. He used to represent Hong Kong to join various international competitions in the Hong Kong team. Also went to one of the most famous swimming clubs in UK to coach!
    Ricky Lau
    Coach, Swimming
    About Ricky
    Coach Ricky has over 10 years experience in competitive swimming and triathlon, also a former triathlon national junior squad member. Still active in marathon and distance running after being a coach. He hope the students can feel passionate in swimming or even any sports by his experience and knowledge.
    George Taffs
    Coach, Swimming
    About George
    Coach George is a former competitive swimmer that swam for the squad in ESF Sharks at South Island School. He has competed as a swimmer in quite a few swimming competitions around Asia. He tries to bring the best out of his students every single lesson by making the sessions fun and engaging.
    Chloe Chan
    Centre Manager
    About Chloe
    Chloe joined ESF in 2016 and holds a bachelor's degree in Hong Kong. She is responsible for the daily operation of the Language and Learning Centre and assists with the coordination of various activities including workshops. She strives to provide practical advice for parents based on parents' needs.
    Frances Deram
    Head of Commercial Development
    About Frances
    Frances is a passionate education professional with over 10+ years of leadership experience. Prior to this role, she led an education start-up as the Executive Director. Frances holds an EMBA from the University of Chicago and speaks Mandarin. In her free time, she loves weightlifting and exploring Hong Kong cha chaan teng.
    Emma Dorrell
    Director of Operations
    About Emma
    After gaining a psychology master’s degree, English language teaching certificate, and PGCE from the UK, Emma joined ESF in 2005. She has experience teaching all ages, and enjoys getting the best out of people. Emma strives to ensure the language programmes remain relevant and of the highest quality.
    Ivy Wong
    Senior Manager - Language & Learning
    About Ivy
    Ivy has been teaching primary students from local and international schools for over 10 years. She holds a PGDE in Primary Education and a CertTESOL. Before teaching, she worked in educational publishing. Ivy enjoys building the students’ confidence in English by including fun, meaningful activities within lessons.
    Dennis Lo
    Business Development Manager
    About Dennis
    Dennis joined ESF in 2010 and oversees the operational aspects of the Language & Learning section. He holds a Master's in Business Psychology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital and Social Media Marketing. Dennis is dedicated to building stakeholder relationships to drive growth and expand the company. Passionate about student development, he is always available to answer questions about the programmes and support the educational needs of students in Hong Kong. In his free time, he enjoys travelling and photography.
    Hannah Law
    Assistant Administrator
    About Hannah
    I hold a degree in Applied Media Arts, which enables me to create resources that enrich the learning environment. I’m thrilled to work in this nurturing atmosphere. Previously, I gained valuable experience working with children in school settings for over 5 years, where I developed skills in fostering a supportive atmosphere for young learners. Outside of work, I enjoy exploring creative pursuits like drawing and spending quality time with friends and family.
    Valerie Lagarde
    Senior Manager (Pre-Kindergarten)
    About Valerie
    Valerie Lagarde is a former nursery and kindergarten headteacher and has been an educator for 18 years. She started her career in London before moving to Hong Kong in 2007. She holds a teaching degree covering both early years and primary education, a master of arts in international educational leadership from EduHK, a certificate in school management and leadership from Harvard Business School and a certificate in early education leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education. As a doctoral student, she specialises in positive education and performance improvement leadership. She has a passion for creating psychologically safe environments where young children can learn at their own pace, and develop their creativity and own interests to experience the best start in their learning journey.
    Queenie Wu
    Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
    About Queenie
    Ms. Queenie holds a PGDE qualification in Early Years Education. She joined ESF in 2014 and has been an integral part of the teaching team since 2016. She currently serves as a Pre-Kindergarten and playgroup teacher. She believes that nurturing children's curiosity and creativity lays a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
    Vibha Khabiya
    Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
    About Vibha
    With over 9 years of experience, Vibha is a dedicated early childhood educator who has taught in India, Singapore, and Hong Kong. She is passionate about creating a nurturing and joyful learning environment, using play as a powerful tool to engage children. Vibha’s focus is on helping each child feel safe, happy, and inspired to explore the world around them.
    Neetu Sharma
    Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
    About Neetu
    Neetu is an early years teacher with over 12 years of experience, holding a PGCE and a Diploma in Montessori. Since joining ESF in 2017, her nurturing approach has empowered young children in their educational journeys. A proponent of the curiosity approach, she fosters a love of learning and ensures each child feels valued. Through hands-on teaching, Neetu cultivates essential skills for success while sharing her passion for early childhood education.
    Cristal Mills
    Language Centre Teacher-In-Charge of Afterschool classes and Camps
    About Cristal
    Cristal is a Playgroup Teacher for ESF. She joined in 2017. Cristal has been teaching for over 10 years and really enjoys working with the younger age-groups. She finds it very rewarding when the children achieve something on their own for the first time. Cristal holds a PGDE in Early Childhood Education and a TEFL.
    Chris Lau
    Senior Teacher, Primary Plus (Primary & Secondary)
    About Chris
    Chris is a Senior Teacher for Primary and Secondary. He enjoys teaching, motivating students, developing language curriculum, and helping social media campaigns. He holds a PGDE in Education, an ABA certificate, and a TESOL diploma. He also holds Economics, Economic history, and Business Management degrees from the UK.
    Cecilia Bedoya
    Senior Teacher, Spanish
    About Cecilia
    Originally from Peru, Cecilia has lived in HK since 2006 teaching Spanish to children at ESF and young adults at CUHK. After studying business administration and then getting a degree in Marketing Strategies, Cecilia gained her Post Graduate Diploma in teaching Spanish to children and adolescents. She is an accredited DELE examiner.
    Catherine Ho
    Senior Teacher for Early Years
    About Catherine
    Catherine was educated in the UK and holds Master's degree and PGDE in the areas of psychology and special education. She has been working for ESF since 2008 in different settings. Her job is to manage after school classes and she teaches Pre K and playgroups. She uses her lively teaching technique to unlock children's potential.
    Niki Ng
    Marketing & Communication Manager
    About Niki
    Niki believes the provision of quality education is a key catalyst to inspire futures. She ensures planned marketing initiatives are implemented to maximise brand awareness, engagement, and conversions. When she’s not crunching numbers or working on analytics, you’ll most likely find her jetting off to a yoga studio or being outdoors.
    Wajia Haider
    Educational Assistant
    About Wajia
    Ms Wajia is deeply committed to create a warm, an inclusive and stimulating environment for young learners. She holds bachelor’s in behavioral sciences and Masters in Anthropology. Wajia hopes that she can help students reach their full potential and become kind individuals.
    Candy Leung
    Office & Administration Manager
    About Candy
    Candy joined ESF in 1988, and is responsible for office administration, management of the student enrollment data system, and assisting with facilities bookings. She is excited to see the continuous expansion of ESF Educational Services Ltd.
    Yoki Lau
    Education Assistant (Mandarin)
    About Yoki Lau
    Yoki Lau is a qualified kindergarten teacher with over ten years of experience in early childhood education. She advocates for experiential and interactive learning as a means to foster children’s creativity, passion, resilience, intuition, confidence, and generosity, among other essential qualities. Through these approaches, she aims to cultivate a foundation for children to become lifelong learners.
    Mary Chu
    Education Assistant
    About Mary
    I am Mary, I have a degree in Illustration from Leeds Arts University and a Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education from The Education University of Hong Kong, I bring both creativity and expertise to my work. I have four years of experience in EYFS-based preschools. I believe every child is unique, and through play, I aim to inspire curiosity, creativity, and imagination in an inclusive, nurturing setting.