David Cope

Bringing more than 40 years of senior leadership experience in international education (including 20 years as an innovative Head of School), David Cope is a leading expert in executive search, specializing in Head of School placements at high-quality international schools worldwide.

David served as Head of School at Dover College (UK), the British School of Paris (France), and Marlborough College (UK), with a special focus on furthering co-education and international understanding. His administrative and governance work spans Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Having led three schools and served on numerous boards both in the UK and overseas, he brings deep expertise across all aspects of school governance and leadership. David holds BA and MA degrees in History from the University of Cambridge.

David led the UK office of Search Associates from 2002 to 2019 and served as Director of School Relations on its Executive Team from 2018 to 2021. He has completed more than 60 senior leadership searches across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. He particularly enjoys matching strong leaders with strong schools and brings a commitment to coaching and mentoring school leaders through every stage of the search process.

David was an active member of the British HMC (Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference), serving on its committees on academic policy and overseas membership, and of ECIS (European Council of International Schools). In 1981, he was a founding member (and for five years Treasurer) of COBISEC (Council of British Independent Schools in The European Communities), now COBIS.

David’s international leadership experience extends well beyond education: he served as Cultural Attaché at the British Embassy in Mexico, ran the Voluntary Service Overseas program in Zambia, and built the UK branch of Ashoka, a US-based agency supporting thousands of social entrepreneurs across 90 countries. This breadth of global experience gives him a uniquely informed perspective on leadership, culture, and institutional impact.