Our Team - Leveraging 100+ Years of Collective Expertise to Shape the Future of English Language Assessment
Sandy Bhangal
Former Executive Director, Strategy & Global Growth, ETS International UK
Sandy Bhangal s a recognised leader in English language assessment and international education standards. With over 20 years of experience in high-stakes testing, regulatory alignment, and strategic development, she has advised governments, universities, and sector bodies on the design and validation of English language qualifications used for admissions, visas, and global recruitment.
At ETS International UK, Sandy led global growth strategy and institutional partnerships, advancing the credibility and reach of English language testing across diverse markets. Her work supported compliance with national frameworks and enhanced trust in assessment outcomes.
Currently at ELSA, Sandy provides independent reviews of English language tests and leads initiatives to strengthen language assessment literacy across the sector. Her expertise supports universities and policymakers in ensuring that assessments meet rigorous standards of validity, reliability, and fairness—critical for safeguarding institutional integrity and student success.
She is a trusted advisor to compliance teams, admissions offices, and international recruitment managers, helping them navigate evolving regulatory landscapes with confidence and clarity.
Stephen Carey
Founder & Senior Advisor, English Language Standards Authority (ELSA) Former Global Head of Relationship management, IELTS
Stephen Carey is a recognised global marketing and partnerships leader with 20+ years of success driving growth for English language assessments, and in supporting international education standards. Stephen has worked with governments, sector bodies and institutions to ensure they incorporate English Language Assessment Literacy (LAL) into their decision-making. He has a wide range of experience in the ELT and publishing industries.
At British Council, Stephen led the strategic marketing for IELTS, building, leading, nurturing and promoting the brand across the globe. He worked with advisors, agents, counsellors, test centres, and universities to encourage increased access to robust English language testing, and supports all new ventures that reinforce integrity and reliability in this space.
Currently at ELSA, Stephen acts as Senior Advisor on partnership development and promotion of the authority, ensuring increased transparency and visibility for rigorous standards of validity, reliability, fairness and security – critical for ensuring the duty of care to international students, as well as ensuring long-term success for institutions.
Stephen is highly regarded internationally as an expert in promotion and partnership development, as well as being a passionate advocate for quality in international education, and soft power in international relations.
In addition to his work at ELSA, Stephen provides consultancy to organisations across the sector, supporting initiatives that strengthen quality and integrity in international education.
Karen Ottewell
Acting Director of the Language Centre & Director of Academic Development & Training for International Students
Karen brings over 25 years of experience in Higher Education, having taught in both the UK and Germany. Since 2008, she has led the Academic Development & Training for International Students programme at the University of Cambridge, where she directs a team dedicated to equipping international students with the academic skills essential for success in English-speaking university environments.
Her research explores how cultural backgrounds shape academic writing and how proficiency in academic English is assessed. As a member of the English Language Standards Authority (ELSA), Karen applies her deep expertise to independently evaluate English language tests and spearhead initiatives that advance language assessment literacy. Her unwavering commitment to rigorous standards in language testing plays a vital role in enabling institutions to make well-informed, impartial decisions.
Mir Rahman
EdTech, Assessment & Digital Transformation Expert | Former Global Head of Exams Systems, British Council
Mir is an EdTech and Digital Transformation expert with 18+ years of experience modernising exam and IT systems in 100+ countries. At the British Council, he led 24 professionals and multiple agile teams, managing digital exam services across six continents with a multi-million technology budget. He embedded SAFe across a 60-member team to increase delivery velocity by 25%, redesigned Development teams to improve headcount efficiency by 50%, and introduced AI-powered and citizen-developement initiatives that reduced delivery cycles by 30%. Mir oversaw platforms supporting 330,000+ exam sessions and streamlined 2M+ registrations annually, while standardising collaboration tools to boost team productivity by 20%.
A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and SAFe practitioner, he delivers scalable, AI-enabled learning ecosystems and high-impact education solutions that strengthen institutional resilience and improve outcomes for learners worldwide.
Join our team !
ELSA will be an independent body that regulates and oversees the expanding range of English language tests on the market. With a collective experience of over 100 years in the English language testing sector, encompassing multiple stakeholders, ELSA offers the first independent review of high-stakes English language tests. We assess their appropriateness for various uses and provide language assessment literacy training. Our goal is to empower institutions to make informed decisions based on reliable and comprehensive evaluations.
The group will play a crucial role in testing our assumptions, challenging our data, and shaping each iteration of ELSA’s standards. Our aim is to maintain academic rigor while ensuring commercial viability across diverse markets.
If you share our vision of creating a transparent, student-centered recruitment ecosystem and are willing to contribute your expertise, we invite you to join us. Please contact the ELSA team to discuss how you can become a member of the Advisory Group and help shape the future of ELSA.