John is a qualified chartered accountant and has been a director of Williams Ross Limited in Cardiff for 16 years. He has had a professional involvement in providing assurance services, advice, support and training in the not for profit sector covering charities, credit unions and other voluntary organisations for a number of years.

His voluntary activities have included:

Being a management board member of Cwmpas for over 14 years.
Being a board member of Cynon Taf Housing Group since September 2018.
Having been a board member of three different housing associations for a combined total of over twenty five years up to 2018.

Originally from Cefneithin in Carmarthenshire, Richard began his career in television and theatre before a local government career in leisure, arts, culture and tourism spanning 16 years. Richard took up the role of Chief Executive of Awen Cultural Trust in October 2015 and has steered the organisation since its inception into a new period of growth and development. He oversees the strategic management of the Awen and its trading subsidiary Awen Trading Ltd. with around 190 staff across 18 different sites.

Richard is a Member of the Institute of Directors and is a full member of the Bridgend Public Service Board. A fluent Welsh speaker, Richard is married with two children and is a season ticket holder and staunch follower of the Scarlets.

Amber is a life-long trade unionist and currently works as a Policy Officer at TUC Cymru.  Amber previously worked in a policy role for public sector trade union, UNISON Cymru for 15 years. Amber has also undertaken secondment positions in Welsh Government, representing the trade union movement during the passage of the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act and the establishment of the Social Partnership Council.

Ben is a Director at Arup, based in Cardiff with 20 years’ experience of working with public and private sector organisations on transport advisory and infrastructure projects. He leads the Arup business in Wales and is currently working with clients across Wales, Northern Ireland and England. Ben is passionate about unlocking the potential of individuals regardless of their background. Through his working career he has developed experience of start-ups/mobilisation, profit and loss account management, diversity, change management, team leadership, strategic leadership and business development.

A global professional services company, Arup has over 400 staff based in Wales and a history of almost 50 years in Cardiff. As an employee-owned company Arup takes pride in their community involvement and connection to the societies they serve.

Outside of work Ben has volunteered as a Wales Deaf Rugby Union committee member, helping to raise funds to provide development opportunities for young children and adults alike. As a father of two young boys, he is also involved in coaching football and rugby. He enjoys keeping fit by attending the gym, running and, despite the ravages of time, occasionally putting the boots back on for a game of rugby.

Amanda is a BAFTA award-winning, TV and digital broadcast specialist. As S4C’s Director of Content and subsequently Director of Platforms, Amanda operated at board and senior leadership level, leading the broadcaster’s creative and digital commissioning strategy. She is currently a non-executive member of Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Wales, a charity trustee at Saving Saints Rescue UK, a business consultant and coaching facilitator.

Amanda has a Masters in Business and Organisational Psychology and a CMI Diploma (Level 7) in Professional Consulting. Prior to joining S4C in 2016 Amanda ran her own production company, TiFiNi Ltd which specialised in making special access, award nominated documentaries.

Born and raised in the Gwendraeth Valley, Amanda is a fluent Welsh speaker, a passionate advocate of authentic leadership and social inclusion, a huge dog lover and lapsed musician.

As an experienced finance professional, Gareth has worked in the housing, care, and support sector for over 20 years.

As the Group Executive Director of Resources for Hedyn, Gareth is a champion of innovation and continuous improvement, with a focus on cost efficiency, quality outcomes, and robust governance. He works closely with the Board to shape and strengthen Hedyn’s financial, HR, risk management, assurance, value for money, and governance frameworks.

Gareth brings extensive governance experience at Board level, with a strong ability to interpret complex information to support effective decision-making and drive continuous improvement.

A fluent Welsh speaker originally from west Wales, Gareth now lives in south Monmouthshire with his wife and two daughters. He brings a strong sense of place and purpose to his work, rooted in the values of community, fairness, and collaboration.

Kit’s early career included leadership roles at 118 118 and RBS before joining Vale of Glamorgan Council as their call centre manager. Kit moved to Newport City Council, where he transformed their customer service and channel strategies.  Following Newport, Kit moved into the outsourcing world, working with Liberata and more recently Agilisys on the customer services contract at North Somerset Council.  Prior to joining Welsh Water, Kit held the position of Partnership Director with Agilisys and was responsible for Digital, Change Customer Service, IT, HR, Payroll, Facilities, Procurement and Revenue & Benefits for the South West. At Welsh Water he is responsible for all Change, Continuous Improvement and Digital services across the organisation.

Outside work, Kit’s key passion is sport. He coaches his son’s football team, plays cricket for Creigau Cricket Club and enjoys running.

Jed Rual (he/him) Jed works in Cardiff University’s Research Commercialisation Team where he leads commercialisation support for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences to maximise the social, economic, cultural and/or environmental impact of academic research. He is responsible for the identification, protection, and exploitation of intellectual property (IP) through licensing and new company formation. Jed is Non-Executive Director of Cardiff University spinout companies Nisien.ai Ltd. and Evidence to Impact Ltd. and holds leadership positions in the Aspect network, Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK, Cardiff University’s IAA funding portfolio, and is ED&I Lead for The Research Service at Cardiff University. He is passionate about supporting meaningful social, economic, cultural, and environmental change in Wales and beyond. As a graduate of Egyptology, always happy to talk about all things ancient.

Gareth has extensive experience working across the public sector including roles in strategic leadership, corporate governance and accountability, and partnership working. A fluent Welsh speaker, Gareth is passionate about inclusive policymaking, equality of economic opportunities, and community empowerment. He lived in Manchester for ten years, the birthplace of the co-operative movement, which helped shape his interest in social and economic justice.

Gareth is a member of the Barry Horns, Wales’s national football band, reflecting his love of football and belief in the power of sport to promote Wales’s unique cultural identity on the global stage. He also enjoys running, playing football, and going on adventures with his family.

Peter retired as Irish Ombudsman and Information Commissioner in 2022.  He was previously Public Services Ombudsman for Wales and Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Wales.  He lives in the Vale of Glamorgan.  He is also a Board member of Cynon Taf Community Housing Group.

Dr Rachael Rees-Jones is an academic and business practitioner with more than 30 years’ experience in commercial and public-sector organisations. She lectures in Strategy at the University of South Wales, where her research focuses on business growth, targeted support and entrepreneurship.

Rachael’s industry career includes roles with blue-chip companies such as Wilkinson Sword, Tetra Pak and Lloyds TSB. She has also founded and led two businesses, Clear Marketing Limited and the AI scale-up Calon AI Solutions. A Chartered Marketer and Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Marketing and Higher Education Academy, Rachael contributes governance expertise through nonexecutive directorships in the arts sector.

Away from work, Rachael is a busy mum of two who enjoys walking, travelling and music, bringing the same energy and curiosity to family life as she does to her professional roles.