Board of Trustees

Matt Ayoub

Matt grew up in Abu Dhabi, arriving in 1979 and graduating from ACS in 1994 as part of our second graduating class. He returned to Abu Dhabi in 2010 and currently has three children at ACS, providing the Board with a unique perspective as an ACS alumnus, parent and long-time community member.

Matt is employed by Mubadala and currently serves as a member of the organization’s Human Capital leadership team with a specific focus on the intersection of people and business, as well as company culture and longer-term organization development. Prior to joining Mubadala, Matt worked in a range of roles in the life sciences and semiconductor industries, spending time in Europe, Asia, and North America, including San Diego, which his family considers home when not in Abu Dhabi.

Matt holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Boston University and an MBA from the University of San Diego, where he served as the President of the Graduate Business Students Association. When not working, Matt enjoys taking his family to remote parts of the world to explore unique cultures and ecosystems.

Julie Thurston

Julie Thurston and her family joined ACS when they moved to Abu Dhabi in 2017.  She and her husband Michael have two children, Wesley, who graduated ACS is 2023, and a daughter, who is in High School. They first moved overseas in 2014 from Durham, North Carolina.

Julie has more than 20 years of experience in Higher Education Facilities Administration, spanning a broad range of responsibilities from Facilities Engineering, Capital Planning and Project Management. She is currently employed by New York University of Abu Dhabi as the Director of Planning and Projects where she is responsible for all campus Space Planning and Management, Project Design and Construction.   

Julie holds a B.Sc degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Davis, and a M.S. degree from Duke University. She is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of California and is certified as a LEED AP.

Bassam Moubarak

Bassam and his wife Mady have been proud residents of Abu Dhabi since his appointment at New York University Abu Dhabi in 2010. They have three children, all attending the American Community School (ACS). Bassam serves as the Executive Director for Finance and Budget at New York University Abu Dhabi, where he has played a key role since the university's inception.  His career in finance began at KPMG, followed by roles at Nestlé Middle East and Istithmar World in the UAE. He holds a BA in Accounting from Notre Dame University Lebanon and is currently pursuing a Global Executive MBA at Manchester University. With extensive experience in finance and a commitment to continuous professional development, Bassam is dedicated to driving excellence in finance and administrative leadership.

Gaby Manzano-Fadel

Gaby has been a member of the ACS community since 2010. Prior to living in Abu Dhabi, she worked in the finance and mortgage industry for ten years with Wells Fargo, based in San Jose, California. Gaby is a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a degree in Economics and attended the American School of Quito in her native country of Ecuador.

Gaby worked part-time in the ACS Business Office, supporting Admissions and Human Resources for six years, before running for the Board. Prior to that, she spent her time volunteering for school activities and being part of the PTA.

She has three children, all of whom have attended ACS since KG1.

Serena Carnavale

Serena has been an active member of the ACS community since 2017 and has one child in the Middle School. She served as a member of the Institutional Advancement Committee and as Chair of the Board Nominating Committee. 

Serena worked in Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs London for 12 years. Her last position was in the Financial Sponsor Coverage Group, where her role was to advise private equity clients on M&A, financing and equity transactions. As an investment banker, Serena had extensive business and management experience securing and executing a variety of large transactions and working directly with the leadership team on risk management, HR and communication strategy.

While living in Brazil, Serena co-founded a children's organic and sustainable clothing company, which started as a hobby and developed into a small business. 

Prior to their move to Abu Dhabi, Serena and her family lived in Italy, UK and Brazil.

Serena holds a Master's Degree in Economics from Bocconi University, Milan. 

Kathleen Hockram

Kathleen is a strategic advisor with over 25 years of experience helping senior leaders navigate complex decisions in high-stakes environments. She helps organizations turn uncertainty into
insight, strengthening governance, strategy, and long-term resilience.

Since moving to Abu Dhabi a decade ago, she has worked with commercial and government entities to adapt to a rapidly evolving global landscape, anticipate risks, and navigate change. She also is an active member of the ACS community and serves on the board of a local youth sports organization.

Kathleen earned a degree in economics from the University of Virginia. She and her husband, David, have two children at ACS.

Fadi Malak

Fadi is an Emirati national with over two decades of experience in various senior positions. He is currently the Chief Legal Officer and Board Secretary at EDGE Group, where he oversees legal, governance, and compliance matters for the UAE’s leading defense and technology organizations.

With extensive expertise in commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, insurance, and corporate governance, Fadi has successfully managed high-value projects and collaborated with government entities and multinational organizations, bringing strategic insights to board-level decision-making. Previously, he served as the General Counsel at ADNOC Group for 17 years. Fadi is also a board member of Al Tariq, an EDGE Group entity.

Fadi holds a Bachelor of Law and is passionate about supporting innovation, AI and fostering future generations.

Adib Mattar

Adib is the Head of Private Equity for Mubadala Capital. Prior to joining Mubadala in 2008, Adib was an investment banker at Credit Suisse in New York. Adib graduated cum laude from the College of William & Mary in Virginia with a BA in International Relations and he received an MBA and Masters of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He is an ACS Abu Dhabi Alumni Class of 1995. Adib is also an Aspen Institute Fellow. He has 4 children at ACS. 

Bernardo Sampaio

Bernardo has been living in Abu Dhabi for over 10 years with his wife Luciana and they have two children attending Elementary School at ACS. He is a Portfolio Manager at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) where he joined in 2014. Throughout his career, he has accumulated over two decades of experience in acquisitions, portfolio management, and advisory roles in Real Estate and investment banking. Prior to joining ADIA, Bernardo’s early career included roles at PGIM and IBM.

Academically, Bernardo holds a degree in Economics from the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. He is fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Outside of work, he has a passion for travel, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and football.

Sunita Nanda Singh

A resident of Abu Dhabi for over two decades, Sunita became deeply involved in the ACS community when her daughters enrolled at ACS. With one daughter now an ACS graduate and another currently thriving in Elementary School, she has witnessed firsthand the school's impact across different developmental stages. 

She earned her degree in English Literature and, after beginning her professional career, chose to dedicate herself to raising her family and supporting her community. Her contributions to school life include being involved in the Gala committee, and most recently co-chairing International Day in 2025 and serving actively on the Parent Liaison Committee. 

Her outlook has been shaped by a multicultural upbringing across Singapore and India, as well as many years in Abu Dhabi's diverse expatriate community. She takes a personal interest in how education continues to evolve-especially around the role of technology in classrooms, screen time, and the growing presence of artificial intelligence. She values curiosity, compassion, and integrity, and sees them as meaningful anchors in both education and everyday life.

Ron Packowitz

The U.S. Embassy’s representative to the board, Ron has been a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State for more than 20 years. He has served overseas as a diplomat in Ecuador, Colombia, Germany, the UK, Afghanistan, Iraq, and since 2023 in the UAE.  Previously, Ron was a public defender in his hometown of Chicago. Ron’s law degree is from DePaul University in Chicago, and he has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Ron and his wife Liv have a son currently at ACS, and two older children.