About the Authors

Jane Barron, SPAN Director of Training & Consulting

Jane Barron (MEd) is an educational consultant specialising in student cross-cultural transitions. Her professional hats include educator, researcher and writer. Jane’s work is informed by a lifetime of mobility, parenting two Cross-Cultural Kids and 30 years of teaching and consulting in both international and local schools. Committed to healthy cross-cultural transitions and attachment security, she has been a part of the Safe Passage Across Networks (SPAN) leadership since its inception in 2016 and is currently serving as their Director of Training and Consulting. Founder of Globally Grounded, Jane consults to schools, families and students crossing cultures, developing their understanding of the impact of cross-cultural mobility, creating programmes and implementing support mechanisms to enhance learning and life. She is the lead researcher of Surveying the Landscape: Common Practices, Challenges and Opportunities in International School Transitions-Care (2020). Currently based on Garigal land in Sydney, Australia, Jane's writing has been published in numerous international education publications.

Valérie Besanceney, SPAN Executive Director

Valérie Besanceney (MEd) is an international education and transition consultant, passionate about helping families thrive through transitions. Author of two children’s books, B at Home: Emma Moves Again and My Moving Booklet and founder of Roots with Boots, she currently consults for families, schools, and organisations. She is Dutch by birth, Swiss by nationality, and well-versed in cross cultural awareness. Having moved often as a child, Valérie understands the challenges and impact of early transitions on your sense of identity and belonging as an adult. Valérie has been an international educator for the past 18 years in international schools and organisations across four continents. Valérie serves as the Executive Director of Safe Passage Across Networks’ (SPAN) and is the co-creator and co-facilitator of the SPAN certificate course on the Laws of Transitions. Together with her husband and their two daughters, she lives in Gryon, Switzerland.

Catalina Gardescu, SPAN Director of Membership

With over 20 years of experience in school marketing and admissions, Catalina Gardescu led the Admissions, Communications and External Relations Department at the American International School of Bucharest for 9 years. In August 2023 she starts her journey as Director of Marketing, Admissions and Communications at Copenhagen International School. Catalina’s portfolio of work includes parent interviews, admissions projections, publications and communications, parent relations, fundraising, alumni relations and strategic marketing. As part of the leadership team, she helped create the school budget, marketing and communication strategies, conducted the school fundraising program, sat on the tuition support committee and led the school’s scholarship committee. Catalina has been actively involved in co-creating the first ECIS Admissions Committee, Open Apply admissions workshops – she designed and led Admissions Certification Courses in Shanghai, Singapore and Sofia. She initiated the International Admissions Bulletin (currently published by Open Apply) and continues to support the professionals in international schools in any way she can. In her free time Catalina likes spending time with her family, reading and walking her dogs.

Safe Passage Across Networks (SPAN) offers a home to anyone committed to healthy transitions and attachment security. We connect, equip and refresh transitions-care providers.