Meet the Team

Gary Walpole

BA (Hons), PgD HRM, PgD SSRM, MBA, Project Manager, Swansea University

Gary has twenty years' experience in business and education, with fourteen of these in Higher Education institutions and the remainder in the private sector working as a recruitment consultant and in sales positions. He is passionate about organisational development through the development of leadership and management skills and has spent the last ten years designing, delivering and managing organisational development programmes and projects.

Gwenllian D Owen

Project Leader, Bangor University

Gwenllian Owen is Project Leader of ION leadership and successfully led the LEAD Wales programme for five years at Bangor University. Gwenllian has worked in a variety of business support roles for organisations such as CELTEC, ELWa, Menter a Busnes and Menter Môn and has a breadth of experience of working with SME’s in Wales over a number of years. She also has experience of running her own business and still assists with business planning and financial aspects of the family Town Planning Consultancy. Gwenllian is a Director of Llangefni Social Enterprise with specific responsibility for developing the Business Group for the town. When she has a spare moment, Gwenllian enjoys travelling around the UK and Europe in her motorhome with her husband!

Richard Perry

Leadership Development Specialist, Swansea University

Richard has run several SMEs in the Publishing, Training and Consultancy and Manufacturing sectors. In the past he has often been called on by other consultancies to add his specialist skills to projects such as assessing the readiness of workers to accept major change in 45 Ice Cream factories and radically reengineering a £100m turnover catering company. He has authored many personal development tools that are sold around the world. Richard is passionate about helping people unlock their full potential.

Kim Talbot

Leadership Development Specialist, Swansea University

In her twenties Kim had experience of co-establishing and running two successful businesses in diverse sectors before moving into a number of management roles in businesses across Wales and the South West. During this time her passion for supporting the development of others became an increasing priority as she began to recognise the value of leading and working with teams who had a growth mind-set.

Tom Barham

Leadership Development Specialist, Bangor University

Tom has over 20 years experience of working with the business community in Wales and England, developing and managing partnerships, income generation, responsible business programmes and learning and development activities especially with social enterprises. Tom has led pan-European learning projects including the Menter Iontach Nua Interreg project at Bangor University, and was previously Income Generation Manager for North Wales Police and Deputy Director of Business in the Community Wales. Tom has recently established his own social enterprise helping people with dementia through digital life stories. He lives in Ruthin with his wife and two sons.

Jill Davies

Leadership Development Specialist, Swansea University

Jill has held management roles in major UK organisations and has been involved in training and development for over 20 years. She has worked with over 100 SMEs giving practical help and advice on running their business, managing and developing their staff and is a registered Investors in people specialist. She is also Chair of Governors at her local Primary School.

Tony Burnett

Leadership Development Specialist, Swansea University

Tony has over 20 years experience in leadership and senior management roles in the UK and Brazil. He has developed programmes and projects in public, private and third sector organisations including Coca Cola, Schweppes and the British Council. Tony’s “know how” includes teacher and educational management training which he feels will contribute massively to the Programmes.

Richard Horner

Leadership Development Specialist, Swansea University

Andrew Miller

Leadership Development Specialist, Swansea University

Andrew has a background in postgraduate management education with a particular interest in marketing and strategy development. He has extensive experience of working in a commercial services environment and has supported many companies achieve their objectives through people management and strong leadership. Andrew has an excellent reputation as a facilitator and organisational development practitioner.

Clare Phillips

Finance Manager, MAAT, FCCA, MBA, Swansea University

Clare is a qualified accountant and has over 20 years experience in audit and accountancy both in the public and private sectors. She has also tutored accountancy degree at Swansea University in the past and is passionate for people to achieve their full potential.

Dr Louisa Huxtable-Thomas

Strategic Impact and Engagement Manager, Swansea University

Louisa has 16 years’ experience at the interface between business and academia. With a career encompassing many roles, including as an advisor to government, an engineering consultant, an educator, a business support provider and a researcher, Louisa’s motivation is to use good research to help businesses achieve their potential.

Linda Porter

Operations Officer, Swansea University

Linda brings extensive experience in operations management and has in depth knowledge in implementing processes and procedures. She is PA to the ION leadership Project Director.

Cristina Magro

Communications Officer, Swansea University

Cristina has worked for the cultural sector, SMEs and large corporations in a variety of roles. She is passionate about communication, marketing and social media and her objective is to make sure that Welsh businesses are aware of the growth opportunities that ION leadership can offer.

Charlotte D. James

Project Assistant, Swansea University

Neil Dyer

Business Development, Swansea University

Neil has fifteen years’ experience in marketing, management consultancy and the third sector. Neil previously led Swansea Metropolitan Students’ Union for six years seeing it through a period of substantial growth prior to merger. Following this he set up several of his own ventures including a consultancy company helping over 80 businesses start-up in the South Wales region, including many exciting social enterprises.

Mannon Briggs

Project Assistant, Bangor University

Mannon has over 12 years’ experience working within a University environment. She has worked on the LEAD Wales programme and has a wealth of knowledge in event management. She is also Treasurer for Bethesda Cricket Club.

Professor Paul Hannon

Director, ION leadership, Swansea University

Director, Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership and ION leadership, Swansea University

Paul is a graduate entrepreneur who has shaped enterprise and entrepreneurship education, small business support and development in the UK and overseas during the past 30 years as a CEO, Director/Head of an Academic Unit, Professor and Company founder/owner. Paul offers a unique expertise drawn from his experiences and roles in three key stakeholder environments relating to enterprise and entrepreneurship: academia; business and enterprise support; local and national government.

Paul is driven to enhancing the opportunities for enterprise and entrepreneurship within the context of education and has consistently demonstrated his capacity to tackle challenges and exploit new opportunities; shape ways of thinking; and deliver effective solutions in challenging environments.

Paul has worked with governments, global and national agencies, universities and colleges, business and industry partners and professional bodies in the UK, across Europe, in China, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and America.

Paul is the 2016 winner of the prestigious Entrepreneurship Education Award, bestowed by the Sten K. Johnson Centre for Entrepreneurship in Sweden.

Ceri Jones

Director - Research, Engagement and Innovation Services - Swansea University

Ceri holds the position of Director of the Research, Engagement and Innovation Services.

He directs the Business Development, IP Commercialisation, Research Support and European Funding operations of the University and has extensive experience in research and innovation and a strong understanding of the link between business and academia.

Ceri was Assistant Director of the University’s Knowledge Exploitation Centre, Acting Head of the Research and Innovation Office and Deputy Director of Research and Innovation before taking up his current role. He has been the driving force behind a number of the University’s strategic business projects including; LEAD Wales, Dragon Innovation Partnership, Enterprise Europe Network, Knowledge Exchange Wales, A4B and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. With significant experience in the area of entrepreneurship and SME engagement, Ceri is passionate about the role that Universities can play in the development of the knowledge economy.