Joseph P’26, MacMullen, Svensk ’64 have joined the Cheshire Academy Board of Trustees, bringing a wealth of knowledge from the education and international business fields.
The Cheshire Academy Board of Trustees has welcomed three new members – Priya Joseph P’26, William “Willy” MacMullen, and Robert E. Svensk ’64. They were elected during the Board’s May meeting and began their terms on July 1, 2025.
Joseph and MacMullen were elected to four-year terms. Svensk was elected to replace a vacancy and will serve a one-year term.
Priya Joseph P’26
Priya Joseph is a businesswoman with a background spanning entrepreneurship, investment, corporate leadership and social development. A global citizen, she has an educational background in Public Health, ESG Investing, and Leadership for Change, and has over two decades of diverse experience across industries and geographies. Widely traveled, she has lived in the UK, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, and China, and studied in five of them.
Her entrepreneurial journey began as part of the founding team of Wonderla Holidays Ltd., Asia’s largest publicly traded theme park company. Her work as an entrepreneur continues; running Buffet Fusion Foods Pvt. Ltd. and Metara Ventures PL (founder and managing partner). She also founded Adhyan, a social impact organization very close to her heart – a nonprofit trust, through which Priya supports vulnerable women and children across India.
Currently, as the director of talent development CSR & ESG at GAO Capital, Singapore, Priya leverages her expertise in nurturing talent and driving sustainable growth.
Willy MacMullen
As Head of School of The Taft School from 2001 to 2023, Willy MacMullen has more than 40 years of experience in educational leadership and institutional advancement. Under his stewardship, Taft saw remarkable growth in its endowment, expanded financial aid programs, increased diversity among students and faculty, and major campus development projects. MacMullen’s fundraising prowess was demonstrated through the successful completion of a $180 million capital campaign, while his strategic vision guided the construction or renovation of six major buildings during his tenure.
MacMullen was also an upper school English teacher at Taft, where he created innovative curriculum, including a Wilderness Literature course, and served in progressive roles, including college counselor, director of teaching fellowships, dean of faculty, and dean of academic affairs. His contributions were recognized with both the Edwin C. Douglas Chair and the Abramowitz Award for Teaching Excellence.
A leader in educational accreditation, MacMullen served on the NEASC Commission on Independent Schools (CIS) for eight years – four as chair – and oversaw the accreditation of hundreds of schools, including when Cheshire Academy underwent its Ten-Year Self-Study and Accreditation. He has served on or chaired decennial accreditations at Lawrence Academy, Westminster School, Pomfret School, Groton School, Middlesex School, and School Year Abroad.
Bob Svensk ’64
Bob Svensk ’64 brings more than four decades of distinguished experience in international business, finance, and nonprofit leadership to the Cheshire Academy Board of Trustees. As founder and principal of Trade Credit Underwriters Ltd, he established himself as a leader in the field of export credit and political risk insurance. He was also the founder and former CEO of Exporters Insurance Company Ltd. and president of AIG Political Risk Inc.
Svensk’s foundation in government service and international development financing shaped his understanding of global economics and public-private partnerships.
No stranger to the Cheshire Board, Svensk served from 1998 to 2007 and was an active member of the Board’s Development Committee. He served as a class agent, helping to maintain connections among alumni and supporting fundraising initiatives.
A graduate of Wesleyan University and Harvard Business School, Svensk has been an adjunct professor of international business at both Pace and Sacred Heart Universities and has served on the boards of Connecticut Humanities, Preservation Connecticut, and the Southport Conservancy.
The Cheshire Academy community welcomes Joseph, MacMullen, and Svensk to their new roles as board members and looks forward to the insight and expertise they will bring to the group.
