The IB’s leadership

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Our Board of Governors, the Director General, and the Executive Team champion our mission and guide the present and future of the organization.

While the Board of Governors appoints the Director General, it is the responsibility of the Director General to hire members of the Executive Team. 

Role of the Board of Governors

The IB Board of Governors plays an important role in setting the strategic direction of the IB. As well as appointing the Director General, the Board is responsible for:

  • adopting a mission statement
  • making policy
  • overseeing the IB's financial management
  • ensuring the autonomy and integrity of IB diploma examinations and other student assessment.

The Board has the following committees:

  • Education
  • Finance, Audit and Risk Management
  • Governance

Read about the careers of the current membership of the Board.

This governance chart (PDF, 593 KB) shows the structure of the Board. All members are elected except one ex-officio member, the Chair of the Heads Council

All other members are elected. 

Information about the role and responsibilities of the Board and its electoral procedures can be found in the Act of Foundation (PDF, 995 KB) and the Board Charter (PDF, 338 KB). The Board has also adopted a code of conduct (PDF, 539 KB) and a policy on related parties and conflict of interest (PDF, 170 KB).

Role of the Director General

The Director General is the IB’s public figurehead, and is elected by the Board. He or she sets the strategic direction of the IB, working with the Board of Governors and the Executive Team. The Director General holds each member of the executive team accountable for his or her area of the IB’s work.

The Director General will also work with the Heads Council, one of the IB’s advisory bodies. Members of the Council are elected from IB World Schools across the three IB regions, with a duty to advise the Director General on issues affecting IB World Schools.

Each year, the Director General produces an annual report on the progress of the IB. The report is presented to the Board and then published online. You can read the latest review on this website.

Read about the IB’s current Director General, Mr Olli-Pekka Heinonen. You can also read about the life and work of the IB’s past directors general.

Role of the Executive Team

The Executive Team has responsibility for the IB’s core functions which include. 

  • Assessment, which oversees policy and practice for IB examinations
  • Learning and Teaching, with responsibility for the IB’s programmes
  • Finance and Enterprise Business Planning, which takes an organization-wide view in order to enable the smart, nimble implementation of our strategy.
  • Schools, which manages several areas including the process for becoming an IB World School and the services schools receive.

Read about the current members of the Executive Team.