Corporate Governance

LanguageCert is governed by a Board of Directors, an Advisory Council and a Management Team. Responsibility for the implementation of the Board of Directors and Advisory Council’s strategy and decisions lies with the Responsible Officer & Manager.

Board of Directors (BoD): Develops and assesses the overall strategy and direction of LanguageCert, oversees the business and provides leadership and guidance.

Dr Michael Milanovic, Chairman
Graham Shaw, Member
Dr Vasile Baltac, Member

Advisory Council (AC): Offers advice for continuous improvement on LanguageCert’s processes and procedures and scrutinises its regulatory compliance status.

Roger Johnson, Chairman
Dr Michael Milanovic, Member
Dr Sylvia Karastathi, Member

Management Team (MT): Ensures the development and global delivery of high-quality language qualifications, by partnering with world-class experts and prominent organisations and deploying state-of-the-art, innovative technologies.

Marios Molfetas, Responsible Officer & Manager
Nigel Pike, Qualifications Development Manager
Karen Copeland, Quality Officer

Dr Michael Milanovic,  Chairman of BoD and Member of AC

Dr Michael Milanovic has been involved in language education and assessment since 1977. He has an M.A. in Applied Linguistics and a Ph.D. in the same field. His personal expertise encompasses qualitative and quantitative research, as well as strategic leadership and the development of rigorous quality management systems.

Dr Milanovic’s extensive academic, practical and managerial experience in his field is wide ranging. Projects he has worked on relate to operational issues and the development of new examinations and procedures. He has also conducted extensive research in collaboration with the European Commission, the Council of Europe, as well as ministries and universities around the world. He was also involved with the development of the Common European Framework of Reference for Language Learning, Teaching and Assessment (CEFR) from its inception in the early 1990s, and was a member of the Steering Group, responsible for overseeing its development through the 1990s. Between 2003 and 2014 he was CEO of Cambridge English Language Assessment.

Graham Shaw,  Member of BoD

Graham Shaw has experience as CFO and COO of a multi-national publishing company. He has served for 15 years as a board member. He has acted as President & Managing Director of US/UK reference publisher, and as non-executive Director. Graham is specialised in Mergers & Acquisitions, restructuring, strategy and business development and contract negotiation.

Dr Vasile Baltac,  Member of BoD

Dr Vasile Baltac has a vast experience as senior manager, researcher, consultant, educator, and writer in various private companies, as well in the public sector and in Non-Governmental Organisations. Educated both in Romania and UK (Cambridge University), he has a unique perspective in business and education in Western and Central Europe, as well as in USA, understanding the cultural differences of these areas.

Roger Johnson,  Chairman of AC

Roger has a first degree in law, a Master's in English teaching from the University of Manchester, and an MA from Cambridge University. He is an educational assessment expert with broad experience of developing strategy and introducing process improvements in the risk-averse environment of high-stakes examinations.

Originally a teacher, trainer and examiner both in the UK and overseas, Roger worked for Cambridge English Language Assessment for 25 years, in a wide range of roles. When he left Cambridge in 2017, he was Chief Operating Officer, leading a team of 360 staff, covering assessment design and content, quality assurance and validation, as well as distribution channel management and back-office operations. He has a particular interest in how developments in language teaching and testing can interact to deliver real benefits for learners and teachers.

Dr Sylvia Karastathi,  Member of AC

Dr. Sylvia Karastathi is a teacher educator and lecturer in TESOL at the Department of English Language and Language Teaching at New York College in Athens, Greece.  Her PhD thesis was on contemporary literature and visual culture (University of Cambridge, UK) and she holds and MA in Modern Literature and Culture (University of York, UK). In 2015, she completed the Cambridge DELTA.  She has previously published in the field of word and image studies in The Museal Turn (2012) and The Handbook of Intermediality (2015). Her current research focuses on visual culture and visual literacy in language education. Sylvia is a member of the Visual Arts Circle, a community of practice with a shared belief in the value of visual arts in education.

Marios Molfetas,  Responsible Officer & Manager

Marios Molfetas holds an MSc in Electronic Business Management from the University of Warwick, where he served as Business Consultant and Business Development Manager prior to joining LanguageCert in 2009. Since then, he has served as a Manager in the Marketing & Communications, and Business Development Departments.  

Appointed by the Board of Directors, Marios assumes the role of the Responsible Officer & Manager in 2016, monitoring at high levels the contracts regarding all activities outsourced to LanguageCert. He is also responsible for sales, as well as the development of LanguageCert’s business strategy. Marios also manages the relationship with LanguageCert’s business development partners and liaises with the assigned personnel.

Nigel Pike,  Qualifications Development Manager

Nigel Pike is MBA-qualified and highly experienced in assessment, having over 20 years of experience in English language assessment. He was appointed Director of Assessment at Cambridge English Language Assessment for 6 years, directing the development, production and delivery of all Cambridge English examinations, from Young Learners to IELTS and all teaching qualifications.

Nigel has extensive experience with national and local ministries of education around the globe, delivering consultancy, customised examinations and large-scale administration, developing language policy for governments, and working successfully across a variety of cultures and contexts. The fact that he is highly analytical, as well as qualified with soft skills for motivating and organising a high-achieving department, contributes to the development of key interpersonal relationships with both external and internal stakeholders.

Karen Copeland, Quality Officer

Karen Copeland has worked in the UK education sector since 2002. Her career spans across Higher Education and Vocational sectors and she has extensive experience in teaching/lecturing, assessment practice, qualification development, quality assurance and senior management.

Karen has an MSc from the University of Central Lancashire and joined LanguageCert in 2018 as Compliance and Recognitions Officer. In 2019 she progressed into the role of Quality Officer and is responsible for the management and implementation of LanguageCert's quality assurance strategy and associated systems and process.

Her diverse range of experience has equipped her with an excellent understanding of the regulated environment and the processes and practices that facilitate compliance. Karen's fundamental approach and work ethic is one of supportiveness and she is focused on providing practical solutions that optimise company and people performance.