Membership

Chairman of Alacrity Graduate Entrepreneurship Foundation

Professor Simon Gibson CBE is Chairman of the Alacrity Graduate Entrepreneurship Foundation and Chief Executive of Wesley Clover Corporation, a global technology investment fund. 

He previously co-founded Ubiquity Software Corporation, serving as President and CEO and helping to pioneer internet communications technologies. 

Simon has a long-standing commitment to entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development. He has served on advisory and delivery boards for the Welsh and UK Governments, with a focus on community and economic development, innovation and emerging technologies. 

He is also a Regent of Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford, and holds honorary fellowships and degrees from several Welsh universities. 

Simon was appointed CBE in 2018 for services to the economy of Wales and is a Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Gwent.

Non-Executive Director for Equality and Diversity, Public Health Wales

Tamsin Ramasut is the Non-Executive Director for Equality and Diversity at Public Health Wales and an experienced regeneration, placemaking and community engagement practitioner. She has more than 20 years’ experience across the public and private sectors in the UK and internationally. 

Tamsin previously worked in community development and housing on a £200 million regeneration scheme in Tower Hamlets and spent four years at University College London researching urban sustainable livelihoods. 

Her wider work has included regeneration, engagement and place-based projects, with particular expertise in participation, planning and community-led regeneration. 

A fluent Welsh speaker, Tamsin returned to Wales in 2010 and has also established and managed two successful restaurants in Cardiff.

Executive Director for Regional Transport and Integration, Transport for Wales (TfW)

Lee Robinson is Executive Director for Regional Transport and Integration at Transport for Wales (TfW), leading the development of integrated transport solutions across Wales. 

He has a central role in delivering bus reform and supporting the Welsh Government’s move to franchising, giving TfW and local authorities greater control over network planning and supporting the vision of “one network, one timetable, one ticket”. 

Working with local authorities, operators and communities, Lee is helping shape the phased rollout of franchising, beginning in Southwest Wales in 2028. TfW’s approach emphasises co-design with industry, accessible contracts and reliable, affordable and sustainable services. 

Alongside franchising, Lee is driving data-led network improvements, public engagement, network redesign and infrastructure review to improve connectivity and provide a more attractive alternative to the private car.

CEO and Enterprise and Business Coordinator at PLANED

Cris Tomos is CEO and Enterprise and Business Coordinator at PLANED, the community development trust for West Wales. A long-standing advocate for community-led development, Cris has extensive experience in economic development, social enterprise and community ownership. 

He has played a leading role in several successful community asset transfers and cooperative initiatives, including 4CG Cymru, which brought several key buildings in Cardigan into community ownership, and Cwm Arian Renewable Energy, which has developed renewable energy and low-carbon projects across West Wales. 

Cris also supported the community purchase of Tafarn Sinc in North Pembrokeshire, helping to inspire further community pub acquisitions across the region. Between 2017 and 2022, Cris served as Pembrokeshire County Councillor for Crymych and Cabinet Member for the Environment and Welsh Language. 

He also served on the Welsh Government’s Welsh Language Communities Commission.

Founder and Director, Urban Foundry

Ben is founder and Director of Urban Foundry, a purpose-driven creative regeneration agency established in 2004. He holds a Doctorate in urban regeneration and has over 25 years’ experience working with government, local authorities, universities and third and private sector organisations across the UK. 

Ben authored the Welsh Government’s best-practice guide on meanwhile-spaces and has pioneered the approach in Wales, delivering over 100 spaces. His wider work spans regeneration and placemaking, including recent placemaking strategies for several Welsh towns. 

He has founded and advised social enterprises, supported start-ups and micro-enterprises, and served on several public and third-sector boards and commissions, including the Welsh Government Cooperatives and Mutuals Commission. 

Ben is also a Welsh Government Big Ideas Wales Role Model, a musician and dad of three.

Founder, MPW Making Places Work

Medi Parry-Williams is an experienced place and property professional with 18 years’ experience in town centre regeneration, shopping centres and commercial property. 

She is founder of MPW Making Places Work, an award-winning business based in Bangor, working with public, private and third-sector organisations to help places, properties and businesses realise their potential. 

Medi also served as High Street Data Advisor for Wales with Smart Towns Wales, helping towns and businesses use data to inform decisions and drive positive change. 

A member of the Institute of Place Management, she combines strategic expertise with practical experience in regeneration, placemaking and commercial property management. 

Working bilingually, Medi is committed to creating thriving places, stronger businesses and lasting economic and community impact.

Managing Director, The Urbanists

James Brown leads The Urbanists as Managing Director, overseeing a specialist team of 30 professionals dedicated to creating great places. 

He brings over 25 years of cross-disciplinary expertise in urban design, planning and landscape architecture, with the ability to bridge the gap between regional strategy and the granular detail of the public realm. 

His leadership is focused on fostering a high-performance culture where integrated skills are used to address complex challenges relating to climate change, housing and urban regeneration. 

He believes that a business is at its best when its success is shared by those who help to build it. 

A dual Chartered member of the RTPI and Landscape Institute, and a member of the Management Institute, is committed to unlocking exceptional value for clients while ensuring that projects deliver a measurable positive impact on the communities they serve.

Corporate Director, WLGA

Tim Peppin has been in local government since 1988. In Mid Glamorgan County Council’s Policy Research & European Affairs Unit, until 1996, he supported a range of economic development programmes and projects. 

He joined Caerphilly County Borough Council as Policy & Research Manager following local government reorganisation, leading on sustainable development and corporate voluntary sector relations. He was heavily involved in community planning and regeneration initiatives, working closely with the urban renewal team. 

In 2004 Tim became Caerphilly’s Head of Policy & Democratic Services and a member of its Corporate Management Team. He joined WLGA in December 2007 as Director of Regeneration & Sustainable Development. The role covers a wide range of economic development and environmental issues, including work on successive EU, UK and Welsh Government funding schemes. 

In 2024 he took on additional corporate responsibilities, becoming one of two Corporate Directors in WLGA supporting the Chief Executive.

Head of Economy & Community, Cyngor Gwynedd

Since 2003, Sioned Williams has been Head of Gwynedd Council’s Economy & Community Department. She is responsible for a range of services including Economic Development, Tourism, Marketing and Events, Regeneration Programmes, Skills and Employment, Leisure, Sport Development, Maritime and Country Parks, Libraries, Archives, Museums, and the Arts. 

After graduating in Regional Planning in 1991, she started her career as a planning officer. But in 1996 she started to focus on regeneration, working on different programmes to develop resilient and sustainable communities, creating jobs, promoting employment and enterprise. 

Sioned is a member of several management boards and provides an advisory role to several local, regional, and national forums. 

She is currently Chair of Ambition North Wales Portfolio Board and Chair of Actif North Wales Governance Board.

CEO, Adra

Iwan Trefor Jones is the CEO of Adra, North Wales’ largest housing association. Prior to this, Iwan was a Corporate Director at Gwynedd Council for 16 years, providing strategic leadership for several services including education, economic development, highways and municipal services, planning, and regeneration. 

He was also the Lead Director for the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, leading on the successful Growth Plan for North Wales bid (£1 billion), working closely with the private sector across the region. Iwan is also the Chair of Gafael Llaw, a local charity which supports children and young people in the area who suffer from cancer. 

Iwan is passionate about working in partnership, especially to address inequality and to create opportunities. His goal is to use his diverse skills to make a real and genuine difference - at Adra, Gafael Llaw and throughout his local community.

Director / Chartered Surveyor, Sutton Consulting Ltd

Chris Sutton is a chartered surveyor with 40 years’ experience in the Welsh property market, including 20 years at King Sturge, and now runs his own advisory business. 

A former Chair of CBI Wales and Investment Board member for Cardiff Capital Region, Chris has extensive experience in regeneration, including work on Pontypridd town centre and the £40 million Llys Cadwyn riverside scheme. 

He has a particular interest in how devolved powers, including planning and property taxes, can incentivise investment. 

In 2015, Chris authored The Devolution of Business Rates to Wales for the Welsh Government, examining how non-domestic rates could provide stable funding for public services while also supporting economic growth.

Director of St Mary’s Square Developments Ltd

Peter Loosemore is a property developer and chartered surveyor with extensive experience in commercial property, asset management and mixed-use development. 

As Director of St Mary’s Square Developments Ltd, he leads the delivery of residential, retail and regeneration schemes across Swansea city centre. 

Peter has also held senior positions in surveying, property management and Swansea BID, giving him a strong understanding of the role that investment, development and partnership working play in supporting vibrant and sustainable town centres.

Executive Director of FOR Cardiff

Carolyn Brownell is Executive Director of FOR Cardiff, the Business Improvement District representing more than 1,000 businesses across the Welsh capital. 

She has over 17 years’ experience in place management, regeneration and business engagement, building partnerships between businesses, local authorities and communities. 

Under her leadership, FOR Cardiff secured a third term, expanded into Cardiff Bay and secured more than £12 million of investment over five years. Her remit spans economic development, city-centre operations, major events and community safety, with a focus on sustainable and resilient places. 

Carolyn is Vice Chair of ATCM Wales and represents Wales on the High Streets UK Board and national BIDs Steering Committee. She also chairs Cardiff’s Women’s Safety Network and Cardiff Business Events Partnership.

Co-owner of Palas Print

Selwyn Jones is co-owner of Palas Print, a well-known independent bookshop in the heart of Caernarfon. 

Alongside his experience as an independent retailer, Selwyn is an architect with a strong interest in town centre regeneration and community-led development. 

He is involved in work relating to the future of Caernarfon Market Hall, helping to explore opportunities to transform the building into a vibrant cultural and business hub that supports local enterprise and community activity. 

Through his combined experience in business, culture and the built environment, he brings a practical perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing Welsh town centres.

Senior Lecturer in Economics, Bangor University

Dr Edward Thomas Jones is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Bangor University, with senior-level experience across the academic, private and public sectors. 

His work focuses particularly on regional economic development, the Welsh economy, and understanding how investment and local conditions shape economic outcomes. 

Alongside his academic role, Dr Edward Thomas Jones holds several advisory and governance positions across Wales, with experience spanning regional and local economic development, business investment, major infrastructure and public policy. 

Prior to his academic career, he held various positions in the Irish banking industry, where he gained practical experience in the pricing and risk assessment of property investments and developments. 

His academic, commercial, and advisory experience shapes Dr Edward Thomas Jones’s approach to economic development, combining economic analysis with a practical understanding of how investment, finance, and public policy interact.

Academic, Cardiff University

Dr Aled Singleton is a Royal Geographical Society Fellow specialising in sustainable placemaking. His work on town centres is informed by more than 20 years’ experience developing, delivering and evaluating place-based initiatives across Wales. 

He has managed regeneration programmes for Bridgend County Borough Council and arts-led placemaking projects with Maindee Unlimited in Newport. 

His doctoral research examined the long-term legacy of urban and economic renewal policies in South Wales.

Aled’s research, teaching and collaborative work with Swansea and Cardiff universities has explored a range of issues relevant to the future of towns, including climate change, mental health and wellbeing, independent businesses, and renewable energy. 

He is committed to creating opportunities for meaningful public participation and currently works with artists, filmmakers, community development practitioners, policymakers and researchers to support innovative approaches to placemaking and community-led development.

Planner and Co-founder, Waterloo Tea

Aisha Ali is a planner and co-founder of Waterloo Tea, an award-winning independent hospitality business established in Cardiff. 

She brings more than 20 years of experience in planning, placemaking, regeneration and stakeholder engagement, gained through roles in local government, consultancy and community-led projects. 

Aisha has been recognised by The Planner magazine as one of the UK's most influential women in planning and serves on the Design Commission for Wales. 

Her combined experience in business, planning and place development provides valuable insight into creating vibrant, sustainable and successful town centres.

Commercial Lending Director, Principality Building Society

Richard Wales leads the Commercial Lending Team at Principality Building Society, providing lending to housing associations, property developers and property investors, including lending against retail assets.

He has a strong knowledge of the headwinds facing clients on the high street, both in terms of changing patterns in how customers choose to buy goods and services, and the economic, fiscal and regulatory challenges the sector continues to navigate. 

He believes that city and town centres have a vital role to play in the economic and social success of communities and has witnessed how, when working in partnership with key stakeholders, the regeneration of towns and cities can have a positive wider impact on local communities.

Head of Wales for the Federation of Small Businesses

Joshua Miles is the Head of Wales for the Federation of Small Businesses. Joshua has significant experience of public policy in Wales, particularly from a business perspective. 

He studied public policy at Cardiff University and the Institut d'etudes politiques de Bordeaux and holds an MScEcon in Public Policy. 

Previous roles Joshua has held include Director for Wales at the Learning and Work Institute, Director for Wales at the Confederation of Passenger Transport and he has twice previously worked in policy for FSB Wales. 

Joshua has been a member of several boards including the advisory board for the National Centre for Learning Welsh, the Valleys Taskforce and the company board for Traveline Cymru.