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Our Board
Cardiff & Co was incorporated on 14th May 2007, constituted as a 'not for profit' public private partnership. The governance of Cardiff & Co is headed by a Board of Directors known as the Strategic Board. Operational activities and work plans relating to each of the company’s core functions areas are directed by Sector Boards.
The Strategic Board
The Strategic Board of Cardiff & Co includes up to 12 Directors; existing members are listed below. The Board is primarily responsible for approving the annual budget and is custodian of the company’s business plan. It also has a crucial role in inviting financial contributions from sponsors towards the operation of the company.
Bill Savage - Chairman
Bill Savage has more than 30 years of business experience, mainly in the private sector but regularly in public private sector businesses, largely in travel and tourism and particularly with international business development experience.
His last corporate role before he moved back to Wales was a director of TUI, the owners of Thomson travel. He has worked with a number of marketing agencies for key UK cities and was particularly involved in setting up the agency Marketing Manchester, which has been used as an exemplar for many city development and marketing agencies.
Noreen Bray
Noreen Bray is chair of Good Relations Wales, the Welsh arm of one of the UK’s leading public relations consultancies, the Bell Pottinger Group. She established the company’s first office outside London in the Welsh capital nearly 20 years ago.
Noreen Bray said she was delighted to join the board at such an exciting time for the city. “I have been very fortunate to be able to build my career here in my home city and it has been wonderful to see the huge progress that has been made in raising Cardiff’s profile in recent years.
Patrick Duffy, Managing Director Cardiff Airport
Patrick Duffy was appointed as Cardiff International Airport’s Managing Director in February 2008.
Mr. Duffy has recently been undertaking a Masters of Business Administration degree at Cardiff University’s Business School following his role as Managing Director of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s sales division. Patrick was born in Ireland and has been a resident in the Vale of Glamorgan for over five years.
Keith Dye
Keith has been a director of over 70 regional and local newspapers across the UK. He was Managing Director of
Media Wales Ltd (formerly Western Mail & Echo Ltd) from 2002 to 2009 and he has also held senior executive positions in the South East, the Midlands, the North East and Scotland.
Keith is a member of the board of Business in the Community - Wales and in 2008 he was appointed
Business Ambassador for Wales by HRH the Prince of Wales.
Mr Dye said: ‘Cardiff & Co is a strong partnership between the private and public sectors and I am keen to make sure that by working closely together, Cardiff will be able to use its assets and its status as the capital of Wales to attract new investment, more jobs and more visitors.’
Dr David Grant CBE, FREng, FIEE
Dr Grant has been Vice – Chancellor of Cardiff University since 2001, having previously performed leadership roles in a number of international businesses.
He led the merger between Cardiff University and the University of Wales, College of Medicine, forming a large research – intensive university that is also one of the most popular in Britain among undergraduate students.
Dr Grant is currently Chairman of the Cardiff Quartet, a representative body for higher
Education in Cardiff.
Mark Hallett
Mark Hallett, Development Director at Igloo Regeneration, is responsible for Igloo’s joint venture with the Welsh Assembly Government to regenerate Cardiff Bay’s Roath Basin.
He said: ‘Igloo is keen to make sure Cardiff achieves its full potential. The city has so many assets that it has become a really attractive place to do business.
The new developments in the Bay, St David’s 2, Callaghan Square, the International Sports Village and the new Leckwith stadium complex all combine to make Cardiff one of the UK’s leading cities.’
Professor David Halton
Professor Halton has been Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glamorgan since January 2005.
He was previously Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Chief Executive at the University of the West of England with prime responsibility for research development,
Resources and strategic planning.
Professor Halton is also an Honorary Professor of the South China University of Technology; of Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture; of Luoyang Institute of Science and Technology and of the University of South China.
He said: 'We see Cardiff & Co as helping to attract significant international research collaboration and an increased number of overseas students to Universities in the capital city. This additional inward investment, as well as increased export income should propel Cardiff and its hinterland into an international attractor for research and development funds, new technology and new science.'
Lester Hampson
Lester Hampson, Development Director for the St David's Partnership, has been a central figure in a number of major developments, including Maidstone’s Fremlin Walk and the N1 complex in Islington.
He has 25 years’ experience in town-centre and mixed – use regeneration, much of it in partnership with local authorities. He is currently overseeing the massive St David’s 2 retail, leisure and residential scheme in the centre of Cardiff.
Jon Horne
As Managing Director of Cardiff International Airport for six years up to November 2007, Jon Horne saw Cardiff International Airport become Britain’s fastest growing regional airport.
With his previous experience of city marketing at Destination Sheffield and Sheffield First for Investment, he has a strong belief in the power of partnership in delivering economic prosperity for cities.
He said: ‘There are exciting challenges ahead for our city and Cardiff & Co will have an important role to play. There is keen competition for the investment we need to attract and Cardiff must be at the top of its game to do well.’
Robert John
Robert John had a successful career in the 'City' before his involvement as a senior member of the team which developed Canary Wharf in London’s Docklands from its inception. He is now Director of a number of private sector companies which focus on housing and regeneration; retains a continuing involvement in transport issues particularly where it relates to regeneration; advises on real estate issues for a major private equity investor in Africa; and is Chair of Wales in London and a Director of the Wales Millennium Centre.
He has previously been involved in policy initiatives in London including a role as Chair of an inward investment agency for East London.
Mr John, who grew up in Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taf, said he was looking forward to renewing his direct involvement in the affairs of a city he knows well.
Rob Jones
Rob Jones is a Partner in the Cardiff office of global property consultants Knight Frank LLP where he is responsible for investment advice as well as working on a number of regeneration projects.
Rob has been successful in selling and acquiring a number of prominent investment opportunities for pension fund clients in Cardiff which has seen Knight Frank involved in the Cardiff Bay Partnership (were he acted for Morley Fund Management) which has a current value in excess of £150 million, Welsh Millennium Centre Phase 2 as well as Callaghan Square.
He said: 'The successful developments in Cardiff Bay and Callaghan Sq as well as St David's 2 will make a massive difference to Cardiff as a capital city in Europe. With further regeneration and business park schemes envisaged it is of fundamental importance that Cardiff & Co raises the profile of the city to enable it to complete with other European cities who are also hungry for sustainable economic growth.'
Cllr Neil McEvoy
Cllr Neil McEvoy is the Plaid Cymru Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council and has portfolio responsibility for Economic Development on the Council’s Executive. He represents Cardiff Council on the South East Wales Economic Forum and is currently the Chair of Cardiff Business Techonology Centre Ltd. He is also a board member of Cardiff Bus and a director of Business in Focus Ltd.
A former teacher and lecturer, Cllr McEvoy is fluent in French and Spanish and is an advanced Welsh learner. He was educated at universities in Portsmouth, Nancy (France) and Zaragoza (Spain), where he read modern languages, politics, economics and history. He also gained postgraduate qualifications at Swansea University.
In addition to his elected roles as a county councillor for Fairwater and a community councillor for St Fagan’s, Cllr McEvoy has always been a community activist, chairing several environmental campaigns, as well as the Fairwater and Pentrebane Forum and, formerly, the Fairwater Credit Union. He is a keen Bluebirds fan and has an interest in most sports, including boxing and rugby.
Richard Moremon BA (Hons), DipCAM
Richard Moremon joined the Vice Chancellor’s Board in August 2007 as the new Director of Marketing and Communications for UWIC. Brought up near Penarth he graduated from University of Glamorgan with an honours degree in Business Studies. He also holds a Diploma from the CAM Foundation (Communications, Advertising and Marketing) awarded by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
Richard co-ordinates the Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment team tasked with taking on bold initiatives for the university. His role is to lead the CMSR team in building a strategic and co-ordinated approach to ensuring that the UWIC brand is consistently represented to potential students, alumni and other stakeholders.
Cllr Mark Stephens
Cllr Mark Stephens has represented the Plasnewydd division in Cardiff since 2004. He is Member for Finance on the Council Executive and represents the Council on the Board of Business in Focus, the South East Wales Economic Forum and the Welsh Purchasing Consortium and is Chair of Cardiff Business Technology Centre Ltd and the Cardiff Medicentre Joint Venture.
The Sector Boards
Management of the company’s work plans is delivered through three Sector Boards: Image & Branding, Economic Development, and Tourism. Each Sector Board consists of senior level specialists in the relevant fields drawn from Investor Members and other key local stakeholders. The Sector Boards review the implementation of current year activities, enabling the Strategic Board to concentrate on wider strategic issues and direction.
At the September meeting, the Board of Cardiff & Co considered the issue of Governance and delegations. It resolved to undertake a review of the governance and delegations last considered by the Board in September 2007 in conjunction with the Company's external auditor and to consider the review options at the December Board meeting.
