Gary MacPhie brings over 30 years of teaching and administrative experience in international schools to his role as a Senior Associate. Gary started his teaching career in Toronto in 1982. During an Additional Qualification course at the University of Toronto he recalls a classmate chiming in with stories of the time he taught in Colombia and Israel. This piqued his interest, one thing led to another and a few years later he embarked on his adventure in the world of international teaching.
Gary took his first international teaching position at the Singapore American School in 1988. From there he moved to the Taipei American School and then started his administrative career at International School Moshi, Tanzania in 1999 (now called UWC East Africa). This followed with principalships at Qatar Academy in Doha, Elmwood School in Ottawa and ten years as the elementary principal at the American International School of Guangzhou, China.
Gary’s wife Barbara supports him in running the Search Canada office. She was Head of Admissions at the American International School of Guangzhou, and with her background in business, marketing and customer service, she assists with the administrative duties at Search. Together, they make a strong team well-suited to ensure the success of the Toronto Search Fair.
Gary and Barbara have two daughters, who were raised as Third Culture Kids. They were born in Taiwan and attended international schools in Tanzania, Doha, Ottawa and graduated from AIS Guangzhou. Their eldest daughter attended DePaul University on a Division I volleyball scholarship, completed her MBA at Toronto Metropolitan University, and now works as a Sr. Technical Account Manager for a Canadian tech company. Their younger daughter graduated with a M.Architecture from the University of Toronto and now works as an architect for a large engineering firm. Both are based in Toronto. Gary’s family has certainly thrived overseas, and he is now sharing his passion for international teaching with other adventurous educators.
Gary joined Search Associates in 2017, and he and Barbara live in Stouffville, Ontario, just north of Toronto. After 29 years overseas, they are glad to be closer to their families and friends. Gary loves working with all candidates from Canada and around the world, building relationships and helping them achieve their dreams of teaching internationally.
MORE ways to learn about becoming an international educator:
Email: gmacphie@searchassociates.com
Barbara MacPhie, Executive Assistant
Barbara helps manage the day-to-day operations of the Search Associates Canada office. With her background in business, marketing and customer service, she is well suited to support Gary in organizing the Toronto Search Fair.
Barbara is from Vancouver, and has a Commerce degree from UBC, a business diploma from the University of Copenhagen, and a graduate diploma from Capilano University. Her first overseas post was with the Canadian High Commission in Singapore followed by a career with DHL in South East Asia. After taking time off to raise their daughters, Barbara returned to work as a Management Accountant at Qatar Foundation. In China, she worked as the Head of Admissions at the American International School of Guangzhou.
Together, Gary and Barbara's commitment to personalized service and their combined experiences in international schools make them an ideal team to ensure the success of the Toronto Search Fair and of Search Associates in Canada.
MORE ways to learn how to become an international educator:
Email: bmacphie@searchassociates.com
Ken Roy, Executive Assistant
Ken is an experienced international educator and administrator. His experience includes Teaching, Coaching, Athletic Director, Principal and Curriculum Coordinator. Ken has taught or administered in Africa, East Asia, SE Asia and South Asia along with his native State of New Hampshire. He has over 40 yrs of experience serving schools throughout the world. Ken is a graduate of Plymouth State University with undergraduate degrees and graduate degrees in education.
Email: kroy@searchassociates.com
