The European School Heads Association (ESHA) is proud to welcome Mr. Stig Johannessen as its newly elected President. With humility, gratitude and a strong sense of responsibility, Johannessen steps into the role committed to strengthening school leadership across Europe.
A highly experienced school principal and organisational leader, Mr. Johannessen brings both national and European leadership experience to the presidency. He believes a sustainable improvement in education depends on strong, well-supported and professionally confident school leaders. Leadership, he emphasises, is the vital link between policy and practice, vision and reality.
At a time when schools across Europe face growing complexity — from academic achievement and inclusion to wellbeing, digital transformation and rapid societal change — Mr. Johannessen sees ESHA as a crucial platform for connection and collaboration. He is dedicated to further developing ESHA as a professional learning organisation, where leaders learn with and from one another across borders.
Strengthening ESHA’s collective voice at the European level will also be a key priority. Mr. Johannessen aims to ensure that the diverse realities of school leaders across member countries are reflected in advocacy and dialogue with European institutions. By listening carefully to members and building on professional knowledge and lived experience, ESHA can speak with even greater legitimacy and influence.
Above all, Mr. Johannessen believes in shared leadership, professional solidarity and mutual trust. In a profession where many leaders experience pressure and isolation, he sees ESHA as a vital community of belonging and support.
Looking ahead, Mr. Stig Johannessen brings optimism and clarity of purpose: to shape the future of school leadership in Europe — together.