Find out more about the IB executive team.
Dr Nicole Bien – Chief Community Partnerships & Development Officer
Dr Nicole Bien joined the International Baccalaureate (IB) in 2016, bringing over 15 years of experience championing holistic and equitable education. Her leadership as Head of Ventana School, service as a non-profit board officer, and advisory roles in secondary and higher education, legal education, mentoring, and leadership training for youth at risk, and affordable teaching resources for public teachers reflect a deep commitment to inclusive learning. These experiences inspired her doctoral research on high-stakes assessment policy and its effects on marginalized students, shaping her professional mission to expand access to quality education through the IB.
As Global Director of Learning and Teaching, Chief Schools Officer, and now Chief Community Partnership & Development Officer, Nicole has led transformative initiatives across the IB. Her work spans comprehensive reviews of IB programmes, the expansion of professional learning modalities and credentialing, and the advancement of IB’s commitment to opportunity and belonging. She has also spearheaded programmes to empower youth—within and beyond IB communities—to engage in and lead social impact initiatives that extend beyond the classroom.
Nicole’s impact is further enriched by her corporate background with Fortune 100 companies. Her ability to bridge education and enterprise has been instrumental in forging partnerships that drive personal, social, and environmental transformation through education.
Nicole holds a PhD and MA in Education from the University of Sydney, an MBA from Columbia Business School, and a BA from Yale University.
Matt Costello – Chief Assessment and Operations Officer
Matt Costello serves as the Chief Assessment and Operations Officer at the International Baccalaureate (IB), where he leads the organization’s global delivery of assessments, professional learning, customer service and travel, the IB Educator Network, global conferences, and editorial and translation services. In this role, Matt is accountable for ensuring the high-quality, scalable, and cost-effective delivery of IB’s core operational and educational services worldwide. With more than seven years of senior leadership experience within the IB, Matt brings a deep understanding of the intersection between educational excellence, operational efficiency, and innovation. His leadership ensures that the IB’s global operations continue to meet the evolving needs of schools, educators, and students—delivering reliability and excellence at scale.
Prior to his current role in the IB, Matt served as the Chief Business Development Officer, where he was responsible for shaping and implementing the IB’s global growth strategy. He led initiatives that expanded IB’s engagement with ministries of education and partner organizations, building sustainable pathways for system-level collaborations that align IB programmes with national education goals. Prior to that, Matt was the Director of Global Operations, where he led process modernization efforts, strengthened operational governance, and enhanced service quality and cost efficiency across global operations.
Prior to joining the IB in 2018, Matt was Vice President of Operations at the College Board which delivers the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®), SAT® and PSAT™ programs.
Matt holds an MBA from the University of Maryland with a concentration in statistics.
Marco Dondi – Deputy Director General
Marco joined the IB on January 1st, 2024, after nearly 15 years of experience in strategy consulting at McKinsey & Company. He has consulted governments and not-for-profit organizations in the fields of education and adult training, labor markets, economic development, migration, and government delivery. He has a very international profile with experience across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. In his role as Deputy Director General, he helps the IB in delivering its strategy while ensuring it builds the capabilities and culture to sustainably achieve its mission.
Marco is motivated by a profound commitment to enhancing the quality of life globally and helping as many people as possible to become better versions of themselves. His work during his consulting career has reached millions of individuals through projects including curriculum reforms, adult re-skilling programs, transforming employment services, developing economic development plans and strategies, and the noteworthy publication of his award-winning book, "Outgrowing Capitalism: Rethinking Money to Reshape Society and Pursue Purpose".
He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from INSEAD in France and Singapore and a Master's and Bachelor of Management from Politecnico di Milano.
Dr Shehzad Jeeva – Chief Education Officer
A prominent figure in the field of education, Shehzad is driven by his commitment to creating a better world through quality education. As the CEO of the Aga Khan University Examination Board since 2014 and the recipient of the Award of Distinction in 2022, his visionary leadership and persistent efforts have transformed the Examination Board from a start-up into a model of excellence and a financially sustainable organization.
In addition to his most recent CEO role, Shehzad serves as the Vice President of the International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA). He has held key positions, including Chairman of the Inter Board Coordination Commission (IBCC) and the National Steering Committee of the Federal Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan. He has been a member of the Senate of Karakoram International University, the National Curriculum Council, the Sindh Curriculum Council, the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board and the Punjab Examination Commission.
Shehzad has played a pivotal role in shaping education policies in Pakistan, introducing innovative solutions, and making a significant impact through initiatives like the new grading system and the Assessment Policy Framework of the Government of Punjab in 2020. His involvement extends to developing promotion policy guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He is based in The Hague Global Centre
Umeet Shah – Chief Finance Officer
Umeet Shah joined the IB as CFO on 1 October 2024. Umeet brings over 20 years of extensive experience as a CFO, having held strategic finance leadership roles in both large multinational corporations and dynamic entrepreneurial organizations. His career began at global audit firms, Arthur Andersen in India and KPMG in Singapore. He has served as CFO for NBCUniversal – Networks APAC, where he contributed to numerous growth and digital transformation initiatives. Additionally, he worked at Nimbus Sport International and recently at POPS Worldwide, overseeing periods of rapid growth and implementing significant finance transformation projects.
Throughout his career, Umeet has demonstrated a hands-on, adaptable approach, successfully managing multiple priorities including growth initiatives, digital transformations, service launches, finance operations and fundraising. His global experience spans India, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam, allowing him to bring a broad perspective and deep expertise to our team.
Umeet is a Chartered Accountant from India, holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Mumbai, and has completed the Advanced Management Programme from INSEAD.
Andrea Smith – Chief Strategy & People Officer
As Chief Strategy & People Officer, Andrea Smith leads a group of departments that exist to drive and support progress across the organization, by placing people and strategy at the centre of the IB’s work. Leading across strategy development and delivery, the central and regional HR and People teams, internal communications, and the legal, compliance, privacy and governance specialists, she guides and fosters organizational transformation and cultural change across the IB.
Andrea joined the IB in 1994, and for over three decades she has led colleagues and teams across diverse functions and locations. She has been a key player in helping the organization’s operations scale and mature, and has supported many large scale transformation projects such as the creation of DP Online Courses, major internal restructuring programmes, the relocation of IB operations to The Hague and Washington DC, and changes to IB’s assessment fee structure to lower the cost of examinations for students. She holds an MBA, and a BA in Hispanic & French Studies.
Loic Tallon – Chief Digital & Data Officer
As Chief Digital & Data Officer, Loic Tallon drives the IB's digital and data transformation across its global ecosystem by defining strategy, leading innovation and ensuring scalable, high-impact outcomes across the organization, our IB World Schools and the larger IB ecosystem.
Prior to becoming Chief Digital Officer in September 2024, he served as the IB’s Director of Digital Transformation. Loic brings more than 20 years of experience as a digital leader, helping social sector organizations leverage digital to transform and scale their impact.
He previously was the Chief Digital Officer for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and has consulted on digital strategy for institutions across Europe, North America and the Middle East, both for his own firm and as an associate partner with McKinsey & Company. Loic holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nottingham and a Master of Arts from the Courtauld Institute of Art. He is based in The Hague Global Centre.
