Johana Heřmánková joined the English College in Prague’s Education Committee in 2018 as a co-opted member.

With a Bc and Mgr in Philosophy from the Faculty of Arts at Charles University, she co-edited the book Filosofie v podzemí – filosofie v zázemí: – Podoby filosofie v českých zemích v době normalizace a po sametové revoluci (Philosophy Underground and Overground: Forms of philosophy during normalisation and after the Velvet Revolution in the Czech Republic and former Czechoslovakia), which examines the underground philosophy seminars during the communist era and the resurgence of philosophy in Czech academia after the revolution.
She is currently on maternity leave from Post Bellum, where she has further focused on the normalisation period, as well as the dark 1950s, as an editor of the project Memory of Nations and its journal.

Her passion for education led her into teaching. She taught philosophy at the Lauder School of Prague and interpretation and analysis of literary texts at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory and College. She was involved in developing in-service training for philosophy teachers at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. A strong believer in the value of collaboration between academia and schools, Johana founded Projects in Applied Economics for Talented Students, a research programme for upper secondary school students, based at CERGE-EI (the Centre for Economic Research and Graduate Studies – Economics Institute). She has also focused on educational policy, strategy, and pedagogy, which led her to study Educational Sciences, specialising in Educational Leadership, at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland.

Johana was appointed a Governor of the English College in Prague in May 2025. With her experience of both the Czech and Nordic education systems, she aims to contribute to ECP’s discussions on academic matters and to supporting its mission of providing a first-class, British-style academic education in the Czech Republic.

Greg Hands’ own education provided a strong foundation for a distinguished career in politics. Born in America to British parents, he first went to school in New York before moving back to the UK with his family when he was seven years old. He later attended Cambridge University, studying Modern History, German, Czech and Slovak. His commitment to the country was evident even then, as he also attended Charles University and, in the summer of 1989, organised a university exchange scheme between Cambridge and Charles University. This academic background has contributed to his understanding of national and international affairs. After Cambridge, he embarked on a career in Finance, and worked on trading floors in London and New York.

He has had a long-standing involvement with the English College and was a Governor of the ECP from 2009 to 2015, before standing down to concentrate on his work as a UK Member of Parliament and Government Minister. Throughout his parliamentary career, he held numerous ministerial roles across various departments, including Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Minister of State for Trade Policy, and Minister of State for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change. He also served as Chairman of the Conservative Party. These roles provided him with extensive experience in economic policy, international relations and strategic leadership.

Greg has also had a long-standing association with Central Europe. He speaks German, French and Czech, which is a testament to this connection and his appreciation for the rich culture and history of the area. He is a frequent visitor to Prague as a speaker at CEVRO and GlobSec, further cementing his ties to the Czech Republic. He is also a patron of the Czech National Trust and of the Friends of Czech Historic Buildings, highlighting his interest in preserving the country’s heritage. In June 2025, he took on a new role, becoming a Strategic Adviser to Daniel Křetínský and the EP Group, based in London and Prague, focusing principally on the EP Group’s operations in Germany and the UK.

Greg’s personal links to the Czech Republic, combined with his extensive political and governmental experience, makes him a valuable addition to ECP’s Governing Body. He hopes to be able to use this experience in public service, his understanding of international affairs and his strong ties to the region to support the College’s mission. He is particularly keen to contribute to the College’s strategic development, enhance its connections within both the UK and Czech Republic, and help further its reputation as a leading academic school.

Natálie originally comes from Moravia. Supported by a scholarship from the Open Society Fund, she completed her A-Levels at Felsted School in Essex in the UK and went on to study Law at the London School of Economics. Having qualified as a solicitor, Natálie practised corporate and finance law in London, Frankfurt and Hong Kong at top global law firms. She then turned her focus back to Central and Eastern Europe in her role as legal counsel at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development where she worked on projects in its countries of operation including Estonia, Ukraine and Croatia. Since her return to the Czech Republic Natálie, as Legal Manager at a commodities trading company with a global presence, is responsible for its legal function and her team.

She is passionate about education and its power to change people’s lives – which she experienced first-hand. She served a four-year term as a Governor at the Mulberry Stepney Green Maths, Computing & Science College in London where she learned to understand both day-to-day and long term strategic challenges for a school. During the pandemic, Natálie became an amateur teacher to her nieces and nephew and enjoyed exploring how to make learning engaging, efficient and entertaining. She loves bringing people together through networking and charity events. 

Natálie would like everyone to have a fair chance at maximising their potential, to that end she participates in various mentoring programmes and has started workplace initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality.

James Kazi has joined the Board of Governors following the retirement, after 15 years, of Margaret Rudland. We are delighted to welcome him to the ECP governance team and we are sure that his knowledge and experience, particularly of the IB, will be invaluable to the College. All our Governors are volunteers who are not paid for their service to the school.

Since 2018, James has been the Under Master (Deputy Headmaster), Designated Safeguarding Lead, and a teacher of English at Westminster School in central London. Previously, he was Acting Second Master, Deputy Headmaster (Academic) and the founder IB Diploma Programme Coordinator at Charterhouse in Surrey.

Having straddled both the academic and pastoral sides of the schools in which he has worked, James is passionate about the intellectual communities in which pupils live and does all that he can to promote strongly positive and reflective relationships in that context.

For a number of years he was an examiner for IB English A (Literature), sat on the IB Schools and Colleges Association steering committee and he still acts as an IB site visitor. Whilst having an eye for compliance matters and regulation, he appreciates seeing how culture and policy dovetail.

He has a Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC) commission, holding the rank of Squadron Leader in his capacity as Course Commander for the national RAF Air Cadet Leadership Course and is currently contributing to the national review of cadet leadership across the RAFAC.

James is half Pakistani – half British and a proud Lancastrian, having been born and bred in Blackpool in the north west of England. He has an MA from Cambridge, in Oriental Studies (Chinese) and English, having been a choral scholar at Gonville and Caius College and he continues to sing in various choirs in London. After university, he went to work in the wine trade before returning to Cambridge to complete his PGCE (English and Drama). He takes full advantage of living and working in central London to follow his passion for the theatre.

Viktor Kotlán Studied in the Czech Republic, USA and Holland. Professionally, he is responsible for balance sheet management at the largest Czech retail bank, Česká spořitelna. Prior to his current assignment, he held several management positions in ČS and acted as the bank’s Chief Economist. He began his career at the Czech National Bank where he headed the Monetary Policy and Strategy department. Viktor holds a PhD in Economics and lectures an advanced banking course at Charles University. Viktor is the proud father of two great children and a lover of cycling and cross-country skiing. An ECP Governor since 2019, he is a member of the Finance Committee.

Chairman

Denis has been Chairman of Governors since 2021. He is a diplomat by profession, retiring in 2022 after three years teaching at the Royal College of Defence Studies in London.

He joined HM Diplomatic Service in 1982 after grammar school in Essex, an MA in Classics from Cambridge and post-graduate research in Hellenistic Poetry at Oxford. His first posting was to Prague during the Cold War, where he managed the Embassy’s contacts with dissidents, including Václav Havel. He has served in Nairobi, Prague (as Deputy Head of Mission during the Czech Republic’s preparations to join NATO and the EU), Tbilisi (as Ambassador), Moscow (as Minister) and Belgrade (as Ambassador). Denis has worked in London on the EU Single Market, German Unification and relations with China, Japan, India and other countries of the Far East and the Subcontinent. At the Cabinet Office in 2002-3, he led the team drawing up the UK’s first Counter Terrorism Strategy. He continues to conduct research part time for the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and the Cabinet Office in London.

Denis was a Governor of the ECP from 1998-2002, re-joining the Board in 2019. He has six children (four of whom attended primary school in Prague), and speaks Czech.

Solicitor admitted to practice in the Czech Republic and England based in Prague. Chairman of British Czech and Slovak Law Association and former member of the Board of the British Chamber of Commerce.

Karel Kühnl has been a Governor of the English College since 1997 and both his children are graduates of the ECP. He studied Law at Charles University in the 1970s, but was prevented from taking his finals for political reasons and emigrated to Austria, where he studied Economics at the University of Vienna. He finally graduated as a Doctor of Law in 1991. Karel worked as a freelance journalist in Vienna and later went to Munich to work as an economics and politics editor and analyst at Radio Free Europe. After 1989, he returned to Czechoslovakia and became economic adviser to the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic (then part of Czechoslovakia). He served as Chairman of the Board of Czech Television before becoming Czech Ambassador to the UK from 1993-97. From 1998 to 2006 he was a member of the Czech Parliament. He served as Minister of Industry and Trade (1997 to 1998) and as Minister of Defence (2004 to 2006). Later on  diplomatic appointments followed in Croatia and St Petersburg, Russia, before he returned to Prague in 2019 to take up the post of Ambassador at large. In 2022, he was appointed Chef de Cabinet to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Read History at Queens’ College, Cambridge before working in insurance in the City of London. Taught briefly at Radley College before joining the Winchester College staff in 1976 where he taught History and English and directed many productions during the following 24 years. He was a Housemaster from 1988 until 2000. Headmaster of Sherborne School in Dorset from 2000 to 2010 and served as Chairman of HMC South West. Now a Senior Advisor for RSAcademics educational recruitment company, he is a Trustee of the Ernest Cook educational trust and acts as a Chairman of Stewards for the British Horseracing Authority. Simon has been a Governor of several schools in the UK and of the English College since 2010. He is a member of the Education Committee.

International lawyer, real estate specialist, sustainability champion, strategy fanatic and women’s advocate. General legal counsel for P3 Logistic Parks since January 2015, adding the role of Sustainability Officer in 2017, responsible for shaping and implementing P3’s sustainability strategy and culture.

Originally from the UK, Katie has lived and worked in Prague as a lawyer since 2001. Before moving to the Czech Republic, Katie graduated from Oxford University with a BA in Jurisprudence, trained  as a lawyer at Gouldens (now Jones Day) in London (qualifying as an English Solicitor) then moved for 2 years to New York, working for Fried Frank (qualifying as a New York State Bar Attorney). After a short stint at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations in Manhattan, as an administrative volunteer and speech writer, she moved to Prague where she lives with her two children.