Former director of CBI Wales, Ian Price, has been appointed chair of Gower College Swansea.
Mr Price, who received an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to business and charity, succeeds Meirion Howells who steps down after four years.
Swansea-born Mr Price stood down as director of CBI Wales at the end of last year following nearly two decades with the employer membership body, including eight years as director.
He has chaired the Wales Apprenticeship Advisory Board, championing the importance of apprenticeships and vocational training as an alternative to a university education.
Mr Price, who first joined the board of the college last year and is also chair of charity Vibe Youth said: “I am delighted to take on the role of chair of governors at Gower College Swansea. Education has always been close to my heart, especially supporting vocational pathways like apprenticeships that provide real opportunities for young people. I look forward to working with the college community to help shape a future where every student can achieve their potential.”
Kelly Fountain, principal of Gower College Swansea, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Ian Price as our new chair of governors. His outstanding leadership, deep understanding of the business landscape in Wales, and passion for education make him an invaluable appointment for the college and I look forward to working alongside him.”
Blake Morgan
Cardiff headquartered Law firm Blake Morgan has announced 11 promotions, span several of the firm’s key practice areas, including regulatory, banking and finance, and property services.
Tanya Barrett has been promoted to legal director in the Property Services team. This reflects a particularly strong year for her and the wider team, which also celebrates the promotions of Katie Edwards and Elin Meredith to associate.
Blake Morgan’s regulatory team continues to go from strength to strength, with three new promotions. Lucy Mosley becomes legal director (barrister) while Stephen Parish and Gem Casey are promoted to senior associate.
Elsewhere, Rhian Davies has been promoted to senior associate in the banking and finance team.
Blake Morgan’s business support teams are also marking a successful year, with several new promotions in the finance function. Abbie Cartwright becomes legal cashier supervisor, while both Natalie Radford and Charly Shugar take up new roles as senior legal Cashiers. Johnathan Trotman has been promoted to legal cashier.
Eve Piffaretti, partner and head of Blake Morgan’s Wales office, said:“These promotions recognise the exceptional contributions and commitment of our people, and the vital role they have played, with support from their teams, in delivering the high-quality service our clients rely on.
“Blake Morgan nurtures and rewards talent, and it’s great to see so many team members growing their careers here and moving forward for the future of our business. Congratulations to this talented group on their well-deserved promotions.”
Quantum Advisory
Cardiff-based Quantum Advisory, a leading pensions and employee benefits consultancy for small and medium sized schemes and employers, has appointed Anne-Marie Gillon as principal investment consultant within its fiduciary management oversight team.
Amanda Burdge, partner and Head of Investment at Quantum Advisory, said: “Fiduciary management can be a complex landscape for trustees to navigate – with often subtle, but important, differences in definitions, scope, service offerings and, crucially, value and outcomes.
“With trustees already managing a broad range of responsibilities we’ve seen growing demand for our Fiduciary Management services from those seeking support across all aspects of selection, review and oversight. In response, we continue to expand our team with expert professionals. Anne-Marie will provide valuable insight into, and oversight of, fiduciary management providers.
“Anne-Marie’s passion and expertise make her an excellent addition for our clients, our team and the wider firm. We’re excited to work with her as we continue to grow this important area of our practice.”
Paul Francis, principal investment consultant and head of fiduciary management oversight, commented: “Anne-Marie’s knowledge of the Fiduciary Management market stands for itself. I have no doubt that the positive impacts our team has made through delivering value-add advice to our clients, powered by technological innovation, will be accelerated further by having Anne-Marie on board.”
Ms Gillon, said: “It was important for me to join a firm with both the vision and capability to make an impact across the sector, Quantum is doing exactly that with fiduciary management selection and oversight. I’m excited to work with such a strong team to further develop and enhance this offering.”
She has over 30 years’ experience in the investment industry within asset management and as a consultant advising trustees on fiduciary management and governance matters. Ms Gillon is also an accredited pension trustee.
Shufflebottom
Managing director of Carmarthenshire steel fabrication company Shufflebottom has stood after 25 years at the helm of the business.
Alex Shufflebottom has taken up a new advisory role with the company, which was acquired last year by Embrace Steel Group in a multi-million-pound deal, after 25 years at the helm.
The business was established in 1977 by her parents, Lorna and Martin Shufflebottom. During her tenure, Ms Shufflebtottom together with her brother Wesley and business partner Alec Davies, oversaw organically growth of the family business with revenues doubling to £25m. The business employs 85.
Ms Shufflebottom has been a strong advocate for female leadership within the traditionally male dominated steel and engineering industry while also actively mentoring and providing support for young people.
She played a pivotal role during Embrace’s acquisition of Shufflebottom and will continue to provide counsel to the new management team a and the wider Embrace Steel Group in her new role as ambassador.
She said: “We’ve achieved so much over the last 25 years but I’m most proud of being able to maintain Shufflebottom’s family-business values. Our people are the heart of the business and since day one I’ve placed a strong emphasis on looking after our employees both professionally and on a personal level; whether that’s investing in the latest technology and tools, providing internal training and apprenticeships to help with retaining our highly skilled staff or offering support for any external challenges that may be impacting employees beyond the workplace.
“I’m so thankful to have worked with countless exceptional colleagues and clients over the years, and looking forward to my next chapter at the business as we focus on providing the same levels of quality, reliability, and personal service Shufflebottom is known for. My door will always remain open and I’m excited to continue building a business we can all be grateful to be part of, together.”
Embrace’s chief executive, Martin Kelly, said: “I would like to say thank you to Alex for her time and leadership over the last 25 years.
She’s been an exceptional leader and will be the perfect ambassador for the business going forward as we expand into new sectors and geographic regions while continuing Shufflebottom’s excellent reputation for reliability and high-quality steel building.
I’m personally looking forward continuing working with Alex as we maintain Shufflebottom’s long-lasting client relationships and grow new ones across the Ƶ.”
Axiom Manufacturing Services
Contract electronics manufacturer Axiom Manufacturing Services has announced five senior appointments to support further revenue growth.
The Newbridge-based business, which provides bespoke design, build, and test solutions for clients across the aerospace, defence, medical, and industrial sectors, has confirmed double-digit growth over the past year.
Axiom attributes its success to increased customer acquisition and retention, as well as strategic investment in operations, positioning the electronics manufacturing services provider for a projected turnover exceeding £72m in the next 12 months.
As part of a wider restructuring of its leadership team, Axiom has appointed Zoe Williams as HR director, Zac Lenton-Johnson as business development manager, Richard Nathaniel as operations manager, Christine Burrows as materials manager, and Amber Heard as head of planning.
Chris Nye, managing director at Axiom Manufacturing Services, said: “As our customer base, investments and turnover continues to grow, it’s vital that we have a leadership team with the capability, vision, and energy to support that growth, both for now and in the future. These senior appointments represent a deliberate move to build a cohesive, forward-thinking senior team that can align our strategy, empower our people, and deliver for our customers.”
“We have created a team with strong execution capabilities and a deep understanding of Axiom’s operations and culture. With their wealth of experience, they’ll bring fresh perspectives, challenge the norm, and carry a real passion for driving meaningful change. We’re investing in the next generation of Axiom leaders - people who will grow with the business, shape its future, and drive us forward with confidence, clarity, and ambition.”
Storage Giant
Newport-headquartered self-storage operator Storage Giant, the largest independent storage company in the Ƶ, has strengthened its management team with two senior appointments.
Simon Harris joins to lead financial management matters as financial controller while Rhys Roberts has been appointed regional manager for sites in Wales and the West Midlands.
Mr Harris joins Storage Giant from brewery business Tiny Rebel, where he was the lead financial accountant. In his new role he will take on all financial matters and report directly to founder and managing director Simon Williams. His appointment will strengthen the finance team’s long-term planning and strategy, taking on responsibility for company-wide financial matters while providing leadership to the wider finance team.
Having joined Storage Giant in 2019 at the Cardiff store, Mr Roberts has been promoted to regional Manager and will take on leadership duties across England and Wales. His promotion represents Storage Giant’s aim to support long-term career growth, providing development opportunities for team members.
Mr Williams said “We are delighted to welcome these senior team members to new roles across leadership and financial management, supporting the wider team to bring our ongoing growth strategy to life.
“We recently announced expansions into the North West and North Wales, and the more the company grows, the more we see the need to empower teams to drive business development and growth across our regions.
“The storage sector continues to thrive in the Ƶ despite economic challenges, and we are driven to continue offering low-cost, high-quality storage to customers across the Ƶ.”
The appointment announcements come during a period of strong growth for the Newport-based self-storage company, which reported an 9.3% increase in turnover 2023-24 compared to the previous year.
Storage Giant also recently shared plans for expansion further north for 2025, cementing the firm’s reputation as a leading provider of self-storage units for domestic, student and business customers.
