Executive Director Announcement

May 31, 2022

Friends and colleagues,

I have exciting news to share with you. The IBSC Board of Trustees has elected Tom Batty, principal of Scotch College, Melbourne (Australia) as the next executive director of IBSC, effective August 1, 2022. Throughout his 35-year career, Tom has focused on boys and boys’ education. He has served at Scotch College for nearly 15 years and earlier at Eton College (United Kingdom) for more than a decade. Tom’s dedicated service to IBSC includes roles as IBSC trustee since 2013, secretary of the board 2015–18, chair of the board 2018–21, and host of the 2012 IBSC Annual Conference at Scotch College.

His appointment follows a comprehensive, international search. With the assistance of Rick Melvoin and Vance Wilson of Strategic School Leadership—former heads of Belmont Hill School (United States) and St. Albans School (United States), respectively, and both past IBSC board presidents, the IBSC board officers reviewed the materials of 40 candidates who reflected the richness and diversity of our coalition. Women and men, these outstanding candidates hailed from 12 different countries and included many sitting and former heads of school. In Tom, IBSC has found a proven school leader who is not only passionate about boys and boys’ education but also has a tremendous vision for engaging members and member schools while advocating for what is best for boys. Tom shared the following comments with me upon his appointment:

I am thrilled to be taking on the role of executive director of an organization I have come to know well and value dearly, as member, trustee, and chair. IBSC is the premier organization for the advancement of boys’ schools and those they serve. Of my 35 years in our wonderful profession, 32 have been spent in boys’ schools. Across New Zealand, Australia, and the UK, as teacher and most recently principal, I have been privileged to observe different cultural and systemic approaches to the common thread of growing good men.

As the world reopens from restriction, we have been reminded of the relational foundation of our profession and how this is fed by interaction across the rich diversity of our schools. In best directing research and programming, it is important to harness the strengths of our schools and also understand their differing needs. We have much to learn from each other and the considered connection of members is central to our prosperity.

The strength of IBSC lies in its membership; its engine is its office and board; and its future rests with us all. I am excited to be continuing my relationship with the Board of Trustees, the remarkable Amy Ahart and Ena, Bruce, Aaron, and Bridget in the office, and with you all, in the quest of best serving the remarkable young men of our schools and the communities they will influence and serve.

I offer my thanks to IBSC officers David Ferguson, David Dini, Byron Hulsey, and Tony Reeler for their investment in quite literally more than 50 hours of interviews and discussions before recommending Tom to the board.

My thanks as well to Amy Ahart for her extraordinary dedication and leadership as our interim executive director. IBSC continues to thrive, in large part, due to her steadfast guidance and support of our fantastic team in the home office. I am grateful that Amy will continue in her role as chief operating officer, working closely with Tom and the board as we advance the mission of the coalition to be the global voice for boys and boys’ education.

Tom will begin in August 2022, and he will be based in the United Kingdom. Quite simply, Tom is a champion for boys, boys’ schools, and IBSC. I look forward to formally welcoming him to this new role at our upcoming IBSC Annual Conference in Dallas at St. Mark’s School of Texas (United States).

In the meantime, please join me in congratulating Tom on his appointment as IBSC executive director.

Sincerely,

Christopher J. Post
Chair, IBSC Board of Trustees
Headmaster, The Boys’ Latin School of Maryland (United States)