A-Z FOUNDERS

In November of 2001, Andrew Leckonby, Zsuzsa Megyeri and Kata Köles decided to create an English-language international kindergarten in Budapest. In May 2002, they secured a home for the Centre and began the renovation process. Just a few months later, in September 2002, A-Z opened its doors to 38 children in four classrooms. The Centre grew quickly and the number of children attending A-Z doubled by the end of the first year. Today, the Centre has the capacity of up to 80 children attending each week representing more than 20 nationalities.

Zsuzsa Megyeri is one of A-Z’s founders and the Centre’s Director. Zsuzsa is a qualified Kindergarten Teacher and a qualified Primary School Teacher. Her final thesis, ‘Storytelling in an International School Environment’, is particularly relevant to life at A-Z. Zsuzsa is Hungarian and speaks fluent English, having spent 4 years working with young children in Cambridge, England. Zsuzsa was a classroom teacher in various international kindergartens in Budapest before joining Andrew and Kata in creating A-Z.

Andrew Leckonby is another one of the founders of A-Z. Andrew comes from Australia, where he completed his Diploma in Social Science: Child Care. Andrew worked with young children in Australia, Britain and Italy prior to his arrival in Hungary in 1999. He was a class teacher in addition to being the Educational Director at another International Kindergarten in Budapest for two years. After seven truly fantastic and rewarding years helping to create and manage the Centre, Andrew has decided not to be actively involved in the Centre’s daily activities and to focus his attention on coaching football for children at ‘Buda Juniors’ and organising a cricket sports club for adults and children.

Kata Köles is the President of the A-Z Educational Foundation Board and one of the founders of A-Z. Kata is responsible for overseeing the overall operation, administration and professional development of the Centre. Kata is a qualified Accountant and Economist, having graduated from the College of Finance and Accountancy, and also the Budapest University of Economics. Kata left a career in International finance to raise her two children, who were great incentives to create A-Z. Kata is Hungarian, speaks fluent English and some German. She currently resides in Brussels and Budapest.