About Us

Steven Holt MBA DipM MCIM, DipTESOL, Director

Steven is a director of English Study Breaks with responsibility for student services and schools liaison. He ensures that students are fully supported throughout their stay in the UK and provides the link with the schools and colleges that our customers attend. Should any problems arise students should contact Steven in the first instance.

Steven is a qualified English language teacher with an extensive background as an educator, firstly as a training manager in the transportation industry and then as an independent consultant and university tutor.

Praewpun (Poppy) Holt MBA, Director

Poppy is also a director of English Study Breaks with specific responsibility for Thailand. She is the marketing and customer services manager for Thailand and is also the student support manager for ESB’s Thai students in the UK.

Poppy holds dual British and Thai citizenship and enjoyed a successful career in industry before emigrating to the UK in 2001. She often travels back to Thailand on business and to see her large extended family.

Marketing and Student Support Team

Hiromi Willard was born in Osaka, Japan but has lived in Harrogate, (near Leeds) in the UK with her husband Jez and their three boys Josh, Luke and Harry since 1998. Hiromi is a director of The Japanese Shop (www.thejapaneseshop.co.uk), a company which she co founded with Jez in 1998, which imports distinctive gifts from Japan. Her role within English Study Breaks is to provide support for Japanese English language students in the UK. She also heads a network of marketing associates and sub-agents in Japan, where she often returns for business and family purposes.

Nhi Vu Van is Vietnamese and spent five years in university learning French literature and a couple years working as a merchandiser in garment industry before moving to UK. She is our Vietnam manager with responsibility for marketing and customer services in Vietnam. She also provides student support for ESB’s Vietnamese students in the UK.

Charli Yu Walton is our China manager with responsibility for marketing and customer services in China. She also provides student support for ESB’s Chinese students in the UK. Charli has extensive experience of the education systems in England and China as both a student and a teacher. She is a graduate of one of China’s most prestigious language universities and holds two masters degrees from leading English universities. She is currently a language instructor at Leeds University and also provides private tuition to business clients.’

Han Chiang Ch’ng is our Malaysia specialist with responsibility for marketing and customer services in Malaysia. He also provides student support for ESB’s Malaysian students in the UK. Han speaks Cantonese, Mandarin and Hokkien.

Dr Shahrzad (Shaz) Zargari is our Iran manager. She is an Iranian national and holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Leeds University. Nowadays she lives in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, with her husband Jim and their three children . Shaz is our Persian language expert with responsibility for promoting ESB in Iran. She also provides student support for ESB’s Iranian students in the UK.