As regional Director of Education for Cognita Middle East, Ian Wallace is an experienced and dedicated educational leader who champions the highest quality of educational leadership, educational standards, and governance to support our family of schools in the UAE. With a focus on school development and improvement strategies, he supports school entities to continually develop, grow and be the best at getting better. 

Ian has worked in education for over 20 years, starting his teaching journey as a specialist Design Technology teacher in the UK. Prior to his Cognita role, he held the coveted position of Principal at Horizon English School for five years.  During that time, he demonstrated exemplary leadership, educational impact, and school improvement, having taken the school from Very Good to Outstanding in the 2018/2019 KHDA inspection. Ian is passionate about developing staff for future success – in particular, enabling middle leaders to thrive in the workplace. He regularly facilitates training for aspiring senior leaders through The National Professional Qualification for Headteachers and The National Professional Qualification for Middle Leaders accredited qualifications. Ian is well versed in creating a positive and lasting school culture, fostering growth and collaboration in the workplace.

Ian takes a lead on school governance across the Cognita Middle East region, offering a layer of quality assurance that our schools are well-managed and deliver upon their promises to our parents and students.