Leadership Spotlight: Zeb Johnson
ISS Leadership Search was honored to support the Elementary Principal search for Jakarta Intercultural School – Pondok Indah Campus in Jakarta, Indonesia. Congratulations to Zeb Johnson for accepting the position, beginning July 2025! Zeb currently serves as the Elementary Principal at Suzhou Singapore International School in Suzhou, China.
Zeb holds a Doctorate of International Educational Leadership from Lehigh University, a Master of Interdisciplinary Studies from SUNY Buffalo, a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University, and a Bachelor of Anthropology and Comparative Development Studies from Trent University.
His previous leadership roles include Elementary Principal at the American Community School of Abu Dhabi for seven years, and Elementary Principal at Colegio Panamericano in Bucaramanga, Colombia for seven years.
What drew you to pursue the world of education? And what drew you into international education specifically?
I’ve always loved working with children, starting with babysitting and camp counseling as a teenager. I also enjoyed coaching sports like basketball, soccer, and baseball. My passion for education grew through participating in exchange programs in Quebec and Brazil, volunteering in centers for children with cancer while living in Brazil, working with children in situations of poverty in Ecuador, and teaching English in Korea.
Congratulations on your upcoming role at Jakarta Intercultural School – Pondok Indah Campus! What are you excited about in this new role?
The alignment between my vision and the JIS vision could not be clearer: Helping children “…to be best FOR the world”.
I’m excited to broaden my experiences and learning as an educator and as a leader, and to join a school community that is focused on providing the best possible learning experiences, safe environments, and dynamic opportunities for children.
I’m looking forward to working with the school faculty, leadership, and parent community to get to know JIS culture and what makes the school such a special place, and to find ways in which I can begin to contribute to successes now and in the future.
Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS)
School community life
Please tell us about your education philosophy and your leadership style. What can your new community at JIS expect?
As an educator, I believe in creating supportive relationships for children and families, built around the common goal of doing what is best for every child. I continuously invest in my own professional learning and seek opportunities to collaborate, work creatively, and empower.
As a leader, this vision remains the same. I believe that children are given the best opportunity to shine when surrounded by a community of adults who work together to provide them with an excellent academic education and powerfully positive values.
What was your experience with ISS Leadership Search like?
I appreciated the support offered by ISS during the leadership search process. In particular, my conversation with Arnie Bieber helped me shake the rust off of interviewing skills and prepared me for the next steps of the journey ahead.
What is an interesting fact or story about you that you would like to share?
Although I grew up in a monolingual household in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, my parents did everything they could to offer me a wider vision of the world. Beginning with enrollment in a French immersion school and participation in multiple student exchange programs, they encouraged me to explore and engage with the wider world. And like many others in international education, I was hooked.
Currently, my family jumps between English and Spanish at home, we have varying levels of fluency in Mandarin (my son Connor taking first prize), and we are looking forward to learning Bahasa Indonesia as quickly as possible.
We wish Zeb and his family a smooth transition ahead to Indonesia. Looking forward to seeing Zeb’s leadership at work in the vibrant JIS community, helping children be “best FOR the world!” You can connect with Zeb on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and Instagram.
If you’re interested in pursuing a school leadership position, please check out our current leadership searches or get in touch with the ISS Leadership Search Team.
Zeb, wife Evelyn Ramirez, and their sons Brady and Connor