Our Team

Our work relies on qualified, highly motivated and experienced teaching staff.

Gabriela Engel, Head of Secondary School

Gabriela Engel has been Head of Secondary School at the Phorms Campus Hamburg since August 2021. She has many years of international experience and was most recently a teacher at the German School Abroad Beata Imelda in Lima (Peru). There, she was responsible for teaching German-language history in the mixed-language International Baccalaureate. In addition to her qualifications to teach German and history at secondary level I and II, Gabriela Engel also has additional qualifications in the areas of digitalisation, classroom counselling and teacher training. At the German School Abroad Beata Imelda, she was also the representative for pedagogical quality management for many years and in this function was also a member of the extended school management.

Andrea Zahrte, Deputy Head of Secondary School

Andrea Zahrte became Deputy Head of Secondary School in August 2023. She brings many years of experience as a geography and chemistry teacher, and great expertise as a former Upper Secondary School Coordinator in Boston. While residing abroad, in addition to coordinating the Upper Secondary School, she also filled the position of Vocational and Academic Counsellor and was head of the school's Quality Management Group. From her previous experience as a member of the extended school leadership and through her work in educational quality management, Ms Zahrte does not only bring excellent leadership skills she is also familiar with the international and local Hamburg school system.

Damir Dzafic, Head of Primary School

Damir Dzafic joined us as Head of Primary School at Phorms Campus Hamburg in August 2022. Mr Dzafic began his career as a passionate teacher and has gained a wide range of experiences in recent years as a coordinator and Head of Primary School at various international schools in the USA and Germany. His knowledge of bilingual concepts and the application of the immersion method can be ideally introduced and advanced here with us. He can now combine his skills in handling and implementing IB programmes and the Cambridge curriculum with the German school system. In addition to his studies in International Studies and German Language and a Master's degree in Education and Conflict Resolution, Mr Dzafic also brings a wealth of experience in peaceful conflict resolution and mediation.

Christine Arruda, Deputy Head of Primary School

Christine Arruda finished her teacher training for primary and secondary schools in 2008. From 2009 to 2016 she lived in the USA and worked with children from 0 to 6 years old.
In 2016, she began her career with Phorms as a primary school teacher for German, topic and maths. Individualisation of learning within the classroom environment is important to her.
In 2017, Ms Arruda became a member of the school management as coordinator of the primary school. As part of a parental leave, Ms Arruda has been acting as Head of Primary School from Feburary 2019 to January 2021. She has been Deputy Head of Primary School since February 2021.

Benjamin Haack, Business Manager

Benjamin Haack studied International Business and Management Studies in the Netherlands and Germany as well as Business Administration with a focus on Controlling and Corporate Management. He used his experience as a former founder and CEO of a start-up for his work as a finance mentor. After this position, Mr Haack moved to the private/public education sector where he worked at GISMA Business School in Hanover, among others. As Head of Business Operations and Director Operations, he built up the Berlin, Hamburg and London locations. After further management activities, most recently as Head of Finance and Controlling at the Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre, he took over the Business Management of Phorms Campus Hamburg in February 2022.

Julia Uhlig, Head of Nursery

Julia Uhlig has been part of the PhorMinis since 2016 and is Head of Nursery since July 2023. After completing a federal voluntary service with the PhorMinis, she took the path of dual studies in Hamburg. Through a bachelor's degree in social pedagogy and management, she achieved state recognition as a social pedagogue. Afterwards, she was able to gain extensive experience within all age groups of the nursery before further developing her administrative skills as a coordinator. By specialising in English during her A-levels, she can confidently implement her new task.

Susann Borchert, Deputy Head of Nursery

Originally from Mecklenburg, she studied childhood education and has been with the PhorMinis since they started in 2012. She worked as a pedagogical assistant in the groups in both the elementary school and the crèche area until July 2019. Since August 2019 she has been a member of the management team next to Mrs Uhlig.
 

Katharina Schönert, Admissions Officer

Katharina Schönert spent a year as an au-pair in the US after graduating from high school, and studied English/American Studies at the University of Hamburg. Afterwards, she worked for a student exchange organisation for several years before she became part of the admissions team at Phorms Campus Hamburg in February 2019. She is primarily responsible for admissions in the areas of Kita and pre-school.

Jessica Janorschke, Admissions Officer

Jessica Janorschke joined the admissions team of the Phorms Campus Hamburg in 2023. With an education as an event manager as well as studies in Applied Business Languages and International Business Management, including a year in Japan and an exchange year in the USA, she brings extensive expertise. She looks forward to assisting all parents with the admission process and helping them smoothly enter our school. Ms Janorschke is primarily responsible for the admission of students to the primary and secondary school.

David Rosenzweig, Extracurricular Coordinator

David Rosenzweig is an Australian-born social worker who started at the campus as a Teaching Assistant in 2012 and took over as head of the extracurricular progamme in 2018. Mr Rosenzweig likes living in Hamburg, his adopted home, and he enjoys working with Ms Watson to create interesting and varied offers for the children in the holiday care and after-school programmes.

Annika Watson, Deputy Extracurricular Coordinator

Annika Watson started working as a teaching assistant at the Phorms Campus Hamburg in 2018. In March 2020, she took over the Deputy Extracurricular Coordinator position as a maternity leave cover. Mrs Watson has worked and studied in the United States for five years before she started at Phorms. She is happy to be back in her home country and is looking forward to creating an exciting holiday care and Hort programme for the kids alongside Mr Rosenzweig.