I’m originally from a small village on the coast of North Wales, but my career to date has taken me around the world. Working with EY in London, New York and Hong Kong, I saw how valuable international collaboration can be, not only for sharing ideas and learning, but also for enabling meaningful innovation.
Wales’ future growth depends on our ability to collaborate with others and engage confidently with the wider world. Creating opportunities for knowledge transfer or cultural understanding is fundamental to this. These aren’t abstract ideas; they’re practical tools that help businesses and people grow.
One of the great strengths of a global organisation like EY was the ability to draw on a wide range of experts. If you needed to build a project team, there were colleagues with relevant insight to bring into the work, wherever they were in the world. It also meant we could deliver services in the languages needed locally, something that mattered to our clients, but it also improved how we worked together as teams.
A good example of what this looks like in practice was the development of EY’s Wave Space network, essentially innovation centres designed to help people think differently and work together on real-world problems. Technologies like touchscreen devices and collaborative software allowed us to connect across borders. Before the pandemic, that kind of digital infrastructure was already helping us to collaborate effectively. When Covid arrived, we were able to adapt quickly, supporting not just our clients, but our own internal teams.
That early investment in global collaboration helped us create a space for ongoing knowledge transfer. Tools became second nature, and people were comfortable learning from each other, wherever they were based. That kind of culture, built on openness and sharing, has real value, and it’s something we are working hard to foster at Mentera.
We know that Wales has a lot to offer. Our businesses, communities and public services are filled with knowledge and ideas worth sharing. But we are also ready to learn from the world. Whether it’s approaches to sustainability, skills development, or entrepreneurship, the more we exchange insight with others, the more resilient and forward-looking we become.
There’s also something powerful in the role of diaspora. When I was in New York, we set up the New York Welsh, an informal network that has grown steadily over time. It’s one example of how structured connections between people with a shared sense of place can create opportunity. Networks like Global Welsh, and long-established St David’s Societies in cities around the world, also show how strong these links can be. They create a foundation for cross-border collaboration that is based on shared values and mutual support.
There is more we could do to nurture that. From a policy perspective, funding and frameworks that encourage international engagement could go a long way, particularly in education, entrepreneurship, and the creative industries. Field trips, exchanges and training programmes all help embed international thinking into our work and careers. Making that type of exposure more routine rather than exceptional could open up more possibilities, especially for young people or early-stage businesses.
We also need to support people to become better cultural connectors. That might mean encouraging the use of social media to share stories or using digital platforms to build networks. The means to do this already exist. We just need to make the most of them.
For those who’ve spent time working outside Wales, returning home can bring new challenges. We need to focus on making that transition easier, helping people reconnect and flourish when they return. Because what they bring back with them – experience, insight, perspective – can be hugely valuable. And when shared, it can make a difference far beyond a single company or individual.
By building on what we’ve learned elsewhere, and by creating opportunities to collaborate, we can help Welsh businesses and communities thrive, not just in Wales, but in the world.
