Search Associates began with a simple but powerful idea: that international schools deserve dedicated educators, and those educators deserve personal guidance and care as they take their talents abroad.

That vision came from our founder, John F. Magagna. After decades as a teacher, administrator, and head of school in both independent and international settings, including seven years as Headmaster of Jakarta International School, John had seen firsthand what great hiring looks like and what it takes to get it right. He founded Search Associates in 1990 to create something more human than the typical recruitment firm: a place where experience, trust, and personal relationships would guide every search.