5 GIST Principals in Dialogue
Over the past 25 years, GIST has been fortunate to have principals who deeply believed in the importance of a German school in Toronto. From our humble beginnings with just 10 students to our current status as an IB World School, each principal has played a vital role in shaping and growing our community.
As part of our anniversary celebrations, we are bringing together all those former principals for a special dialogue on the challenges and milestones of "growing up" as a school. Join us online as they share stories, insights, and anecdotes from GIST’s history.
The Principals
Hanna Pai
Hanna Pai taught at various schools in Mannheim from 1974 to 1991 before moving to Toronto with her family. There, she first taught at a German Saturday school before joining the Deutsche Schule Toronto—later the German International School Toronto—in 2001. A year later, she became the school’s principal and led the primary school until her retirement in 2014.
She managed multiple relocations, which were challenging in the early years. Her dedication helped the school overcome financial constraints and staffing challenges, including securing a German-speaking Math and Science teacher in 2007 by advocating in Cologne - long before government support from Germany was even available.
In the early years, teachers and parents worked with donated furniture and improvised materials. Seeing GIST today, Hanna Pai believes the effort was well worth it and is proud to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Arnd Rupp
Arnd Rupp served as the principal of GIST from August 2009 to October 2013. During his tenure, one of the key challenges was expanding and strengthening the secondary school while also increasing student enrollment. A major milestone was the search for a new school building. Initially located on Cranbrooke Avenue, the school secured a new downtown location at Bloor and Dufferin Street after an extensive search. This building remained home to GIST until the move to its current location. Managing the relocation was a significant task, as was introducing the school uniform, which was implemented during this time.
Today, he serves as a government school director at the Ministry of Education in Stuttgart, focusing on secondary school systems and final examinations in Baden-Württemberg. He looks back fondly on his time in Toronto and wishes GIST continued success on its journey.
Mark Benkelmann
Mark Benkelmann served as the principal of the German International School Toronto from August 2014 to July 2017. Today, he is the deputy principal at the Hans and Sophie Scholl Gymnasium in Ulm, where he focuses on school development, digitalization, communication, process management, and administration.
During his time at GIST, he played a key role in securing accreditation as an "Excellent German School Abroad." He worked on stabilizing student enrollment, defining the school's core identity, and developing the CHARAKTER education program.
Kathrin Wehber
Kathrin Wehber—known to the GIST community as Kathrin Sander—calls Hamburg her home, though Toronto has also become a place close to her heart.
With 25 years of experience in various roles within the education sector, she served as the principal of GIST from 2017 to 2022. Today, she is part of the leadership team at a primary school in Hamburg, where she plays a key role in school development.
One of the most challenging yet rewarding periods at GIST was the search for a new school building, a task successfully accomplished alongside the dedicated board, led by Dr. Marco Schmidt, and business manager Wiebke Tamme. Another major milestone was the rapid transition to fully digital learning during the pandemic, ensuring that the entire curriculum continued seamlessly online.
Rouven Hollmann
Rouven Hollmann is the current principal since 2023 of the German International School Toronto. Prior to this, he served as Vice-Principal at the German School in Tokyo and taught at a high school in Düsseldorf with over 1,200 students. A trained maths and biology teacher, his tenure at GIST has been marked by the authorization of the IB diploma program and the establishment of a high school. He has also overseen the growth of student numbers while exploring creative solutions to expand the school within its current location in Etobicoke.