Wales Committee
Liam Giles BA Product Design
Managing Director and Founder of Spindogs Ltd. As founder, Liam turned a business idea he formed at University into a rapidly growing digital agency that works with hundreds of businesses all over the world providing web design, applications and digital marketing services. He leads Spindogs and continually drives the company’s mission and vision, whilst ensuring that those who meet Spindogs achieve an excellent experience online and offline.
In 2013, Liam won IoD Young Director of the Year, and is a Board Member for Arts and Business Cymru and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Wales Advisory Board as well as a Non-Executive Director. He has been a passionate advocate of Young IoD Wales and its activities and was invited to join the IoD Wales Committee in January this year. When Liam isn’t getting under the skin of his clients’ businesses and understanding how their organisation works, you’ll find him watching rugby or making a Chocolate Cola Cake for the Spindogs team!
Milica Kitson OBE LLB (Hons) FICE
Chief Executive of Constructing Excellence in Wales (CEW) since its inception in December 2002. The role involves working with both public and private sector organisations in Wales encouraging the adoption of sustainable, collaborative working and proving the business case for change. She Chairs the C E Network (8 Centres around the UK) and sits on the CE London Board. Immediately prior to becoming CEW Chief Executive Milica worked with the National Federation of Builders in Wales, working directly with construction SMEs. She sits on the NHS Wales Framework Project Board, the South East Wales Contractor Framework Board, the CLAW (Consortium Local Authorities in Wales) Board and a number of panels relating to construction delivery in Wales.
In 2008 Milica was awarded honorary Fellowship of the Institute of Civil Engineers and in June 2012 Milica was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her contribution to the construction industry in Wales.
Alastair Milburn
Alastair is a respected media figure throughout the UK. He founded Effective Communication in 2004 and has grown it into one of the nation’s most dynamic and forward-thinking PR and marketing enterprises.
The company reflects his passions for encouraging excellence, embracing change and to work with top class businesses. Before launching Effective, Alastair was a thoroughbred journalist and award-winning editor of top-selling Cardiff-based newspaper the South Wales Echo.
Meirion Morgan B.Sc. Mathematics; D.Phil. Maths (Oxon)
Quantitative & risk analyst, data scientist, developer, leader. Set up Meirion Morgan Ltd. 2006.
Over a decade of experience in banking quant / development, mostly front office. Consultant on credit risk / derivative valuation to Lloyds, RBS, LCH. Co-founder of the credit derivative product company Channel Capital.
Creator of visualized.wales, a (Wordpress / JS / PHP / d3 based) site that brings data about Wales' demography and economy to a broad audience. Chair of Gorwel, a small, Cardiff-based think tank. Co-authored the 2015 publication "Wales: Time for a realistic perspective". Chair of ProMo-Cymru, a charity that provides: Meic - the national advocacy, information and advice helpline for children and young people in Wales; FamilyPoint Cymru - a service directing families in Wales to essential services, advice, support and information; and also owns and runs the Ebbw Vale Institute, an excellent facility providing a programme of creative activities, learning and social enterprise development. Trustee of Making Music, Changing Lives, a charity modelled on the El Sistema project that aims to bring change into children's lives through playing musical instruments, and currently operates in Ely and Caerau.
Marianne Pettifor BA Ent, CIM Dip
Marianne set up Frogmore Consulting in 2011, a customer experience management consultancy, she is an expert in transforming the 'Customer Experience'.
Holder of the prestigious Winner in Wales, Department of Employment award for profit source solutions. Marianne has 30 years’ experience in increasing customer advocacy and value with her roles including strategic marketing, mapping the service journey, motivational training; and managing mystery customer programmes. She is also a published author, and Chair of the Pettifor Trust, an animal charity devoted to the welfare of animals.
The combination of motivation and humour provides Marianne with a winning formula for success and she is much in demand for speaking engagements where she has the ability to engage, interact with and inspire her audience
Marianne works diligently for the IoD in Swansea ensuring there is a bi-monthly series of interesting speakers and well attended events.
Helen Watson LLM
Helen is head of the Employment team and an experienced advocate and accredited mediator.
She has extensive experience in all aspects of employment law, both contentious and non-contentious, including negotiating and drafting, TUPE disputes and large scale redundancies, trade union disputes, discrimination and harassment cases, and Employment Tribunal representation. Helen undertakes all of her own advocacy at tribunals and gained higher rights of audience in 2005.
Helen was at Abbey Gate School and Abbey Gate College, Chester before studying criminology and French at Keele University. She then returned to Chester College of Law to complete her Law Finals. Helen has a Masters degree in industrial relations and employment law. After successful spells at two other law firms, Helen joined Aaron & Partners in early 2007 as a partner and head of employment. She is currently studying to complete her Chartered Director exams this year.
Helen has been Chairman of Claire House Children’s Hospice for the last 6 years and a board member for 10 years. Other posts include Trustee at Theatre Clwyd and IoD North Wales Chairman.
Simon A Williams- Head of Business Development Wales & The South West
Simon Williams joined Institute of Directors in Wales in October 2014 as a Business Development Manager, responsible for handling new memberships, existing memberships and lapsed membership enquires.
He brings with him a wealth of advertising and marketing sales expertise from a 37-year career at the Western Mail and South Wales Echo.
He has also previously held a Sales Director position at an advertising agency based in the Cardiff Bay Area of Cardiff and was a former Marketing Director at Cardiff City football club.
Simon has also worked for San Francisco based computer company Intralink Inc, and for the infamous world sports brand leader Adidas.
North Wales Ambassadors
- Mike Caulfield - Managing Director, Caulmert - Lead Ambassador
- David Roberts - Owner The Alternative Board (North Wales)
- Helen Watson - Partner & Head of Employment Law Team, Aaron & Partners
- Ian Barwick - Chief Scientific Officer, Rutherford Health PLC
South Wales Ambassadors
- Jean Church – Chair, IoD Wales
- Liam Giles BA Product Design, Managing Director, Spindogs
- Milica Kitson OBE LLB (Hons) FICE, Director, Constructing Excellence in Wales
- Alastair Milburn, Managing Director, Effective Communication
- Meirion Morgan B.Sc. Mathematics; D.Phil. Maths (Oxon), Managing Director Merion Morgan Ltd
- Marianne Pettifor BA Ent, ACIM, Managing Director, Frogmore Consulting