The Chairman of Brunswick School’s Board of Trustees, R. Willett “Will” Cook, wrote on Tuesday morning to members of the school community, including parents and alumni with an update on the Head of School transition.
Last fall Tom Philip informed the Board of Trustees of his plans to retire from the all boys private school in June 2027.
Mr. Philip came to Brunswick in 1989. He served as Middle School Head, Upper School Head, Director of College Placement, and Assistant Head of School, before becoming Head of School in September 2001.
“When that milestone day arrives, after 26 years of his steady and extraordinary leadership, Tom will be the longest tenured Head of School other than Brunswick’s founder,” Mr. Cook wrote to the school community in November 2025.
In March 2026 the trustees announced to the school community a plan for Andrew T. Chappell to succeed Mr. Philip as the school’s ninth Head of School.
In a June news release, Hunt Scanlon Media announced that Spencer Stuart had assisted in the recruitment of Mr. Chappell.
The release quoted Mr. Cook saying: “Andy brings nearly three decades of experience in education and independent school leadership, distinguished by exceptional character, tireless dedication, and a profound belief in the enduring importance of a traditional boys’ education…Throughout the search process, he stood out not only for his intellect and leadership, but for the authenticity of his relationships, the clarity of his values, and his alignment with Brunswick’s mission.”
Mr. Chappell’s LinkedIn profile says he has been Head of School at The Derryfield School in Manchester, NH since July 2022, and previously he spent 25 years at The Roxbury Latin School.
In his email to the school community on Tuesday, Mr. Cook said that after recent deliberation and discussion with the Board of Trustees and Head of School-elect, Mr. Chappell, there was a mutual agreement that Mr. Chappell would no longer be joining Brunswick School in July 2027, upon the retirement of Tom Philip.
“We recognize this news comes as a surprise and a disappointment; this is not a decision we came to lightly,” Mr. Cook continued. “However, due to a combination of personal circumstances and a broader view on the needs of our school community, the Board of Trustees has collectively agreed that the school needs to move in a different direction.”
“We are fortunate to have a deep bench of talent and a long-tenured team to carry us through this change in transition. Katie Signer, who many of you know as a highly respected leader in our community from her role as Brunswick’s Assistant Head for Elementary & Early Learning Program and Head of Lower School, has been appointed Interim Head of School, effective July 2027. A 28-year veteran of the faculty and parent of two alumni, Katie has unrivaled understanding of virtually every aspect of the Brunswick experience.”
Mr. Cook wrote that for the current school year, the school will remain under the steady hand and deep care of Mr. Philip, with planning underway to transition Ms Signer into her expanded leadership role next summer.
“Tom has agreed to serve as Special Advisor for the 2027–2028 school year and the Board will resume the search process immediately, with the goal of naming a successor by Summer 2027,” he added. “I remain confident about what is ahead and commit to sharing regular updates on the search process and transition planning into next year.
On the Brunswick alumni Instagram page, a post on Nov 20, 2025 features Mr. Philip talking about his plans for the future.
“It is of course never perfectly clear when the right time should be to step away from a position or career of longstanding. Yet, although I’ll surely miss so much about Brunswick, my gut tells me that the time is right. To that end, I informed the executive committee and the Board of Trustees in September that the 2026-2027 school year would be my last at Brunswick. My hope is that this timing will prove more than adequate to conduct a fulsome search for Brunswick’s next Head of School.”
“As some of the trustees have asked, I should also note that I don’t have any specific plans in terms of next steps of a professional nature. I do think I have at least one more gig in me, although I should stress I don’t expect it would be at another school.”