Susana Tomaz | Futures Education and AI Lead & IRCAI Fellow (UNESCO)
Westlake Girls High School

Susana Tomaz is is a globally connected thought leader at the intersection of artificial intelligence, curriculum design, and future-focused education. With over 20 years of experience across three education systems, she brings deep expertise in pedagogical leadership, educational innovation, and the integration of emerging technologies to drive meaningful, system-wide change. As Futures Education and AI Lead at Westlake Girls’ High School, Susana leads the strategic, school-wide integration of AI, grounded in a human-centric and pedagogically informed approach. Her work empowers both teachers and students to use AI purposefully, enhancing teaching and learning while developing the critical agency required to participate as active, informed citizens in an increasingly AI-driven world. A Fellow of the International Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) under the auspices of UNESCO, Susana contributes to national and global initiatives, including the Aotearoa AI Blueprint for Education (AI Forum NZ), EdTechNZ’s stewardship group, and the Open Education for a Better World programme. She also mentors educators globally through the Asia-Europe Foundation, on the integration of AI in education design and practice. Susana led the development of Westlake’s pioneering STEAM programme, recognised by the OECD as a global exemplar in its Innovation in Career Pathways study. As an Across School Lead, she has driven curriculum transformation across a network of schools serving over 7,500 learners. With a Master’s in Technological Futures specialising in AI in education, and a practitioner’s lens shaped by years of frontline educational leadership, she brings a unique ability to bridge policy and practice in meaningful, context-driven ways.