Wales Names Business Leaders to Shape New Development Agency
Key leaders from finance, tech, energy, manufacturing, investment, and industry sectors have been selected to shape Wales’ upcoming national economic development body. Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy Minister Adam Price has now revealed the complete roster of the Expert Advisory Panel, which will propose the new organization’s purpose, organizational framework, and operational responsibilities.
New Initiative Aims to Boost Wales’ Economic Progress
The proposed agency will serve as a cornerstone of the Welsh Government’s economic strategy, prioritizing efforts to draw investment from outside Wales, assist local businesses in expanding and scaling operations, and accelerate technological advancements. This initiative directly supports the government’s goal to reduce Wales’ economic output gap with the rest of the UK by half over the next decade.
Ten new participants have joined Jonathan Lewis, who was named chair in July, to form the advisory group. Lewis currently leads Associated British Ports and previously served as CEO of Capita and Amec Support Wheeler.
Sarah Williams-Gardener OBE, a co-founder of Starling Bank and current chair of FinTech Wales, will serve as vice-chair, offering insights in innovation, investment strategies, and supporting business networks. She will collaborate with John Evans, Subsea7’s former CEO, whose background includes energy projects and large-scale infrastructure, and economist Gerald Holtham, who holds positions as Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Visiting Professor of Regional Economy and Managing Partner at Cadwyn Capital.
The group also features Beren Kayali, co-founder and CTO of Deploy Tech, whose work includes engineering-focused innovation and promoting sustainable technologies, alongside Alison Lea-Wilson MBE, co-founder of Halen Môn, who brings experience in launching, expanding, and exporting Welsh businesses while building global recognition.
Diverse Expertise to Inform Development Process
La-Chun Lindsay OBE, who previously managed GE Aviation Wales, will contribute his experience in leading multinational operations, while Nigel Morris, co-founder of Capital One and partner at QED Investors, offers extensive venture capital and technology investment knowledge. Gareth Noyes, a former executive at Wind River Systems, joins with expertise in technology strategy, digital transformation, and scaling high-potential businesses.
Oriel Petry, Senior Vice President at Airbus UK, will provide insights on industrial planning, foreign investment, and advanced manufacturing techniques, while Laura Doel, General Secretary of TUC Cymru, will focus on workforce training, skills development, labor partnerships, and fair employment practices.
During the announcement, Minister Price stated that the panel was intentionally assembled to blend Welsh expertise with global business perspectives and varied viewpoints. “Each member will contribute their specialized knowledge to help define the agency’s specific roles and responsibilities, ensuring we create a body that quickly strengthens our national economy and plays a key part in our mission to halve Wales’ productivity difference with the UK within ten years,” he remarked.
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The agency’s establishment marks a shift in Wales’ economic development approach. When Lewis was appointed in July, officials emphasized that innovation would be central, alongside efforts to attract outside investment and better support Welsh companies aiming to expand.
Consultation and Next Steps
Minister Price emphasized that the goal is not to replicate existing economic development bodies but to establish a competitive organization that connects businesses and communities throughout Wales. Determining the agency’s exact structure remains one of the panel’s primary tasks.
Panel members will advise the government on the agency’s final design and functions, offering both support and critical analysis. All participants are serving voluntarily. The group will also consult with businesses and other stakeholders rather than working in isolation.
The Welsh Government is collaborating with the panel to create a broader engagement initiative aimed at incorporating diverse perspectives from Wales’ economic ecosystem. “We have set out the headline vision. The Panel will help us deliver that vision, providing advice, recommendations and challenge about the form and functions of the agency,” officials stated.
John Hurst, FSB Wales Chair, said: “We welcome the appointment of the panel that will advise the Welsh Government on establishing a new development agency, and particularly the inclusion of SME owners who can bring first-hand experience of starting and growing a business to this important work. This is a significant opportunity to implement a simpler, more joined-up and more effective approach to economic development in Wales.”
“The new agency must deliver measurable impact by making it easier for firms to access the practical help they need to survive and grow, with the agency’s success judged by clear outcomes: more small businesses starting, surviving and scaling. Small businesses are embedded in every community and are fundamental to Wales’s economic success. As the panel begins its work, it must ensure that the voices of small businesses shape its recommendations from the outset, so that the new agency is designed around the real needs and ambitions of firms across Wales.”
The panel is expected to produce an interim report, with the Welsh Government due to provide a further update early next year.
