GUEST COLUMN:
Catryn Newton
Community Investment and Communications Director
Bute Energy
I first attended Cardiff Business Club around a decade ago, and I’ll be honest – back then, I wasn’t sure it was the sort of place where I would fit in.
It felt formal, a little traditional, and I probably made some assumptions about the type of people and conversations I’d find in the room. Fast forward to today, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how things have changed.
At Bute Energy, we’ve been involved with the Club for a couple of seasons now. Last year, we sponsored the Christmas event, where our managing director spoke alongside former Future Generations Commissioner for Wales Sophie Howe, one of our long-standing supporters. It was a fantastic opportunity to share what we’re working on, not just in Cardiff, but across Wales, and, more importantly, to highlight the scale of what’s coming and how other businesses can be part of it.
We’re now confirmed as a season sponsor for 2025–26, and we’re excited not only to host another event but also to support the wider series. That decision reflects the value we’ve seen from being part of the Club’s network – real conversations, new connections, and a diverse community that’s growing stronger every year.
For us, the Club has become a place where we can engage with the wider business community in a meaningful way. The energy transition in Wales is a huge challenge, and we’re clear that we can’t deliver it alone. At Bute Energy, we’re aiming to develop 16 wind farms across Wales, representing more than £3 billion of investment. My role is to make sure as much of that investment stays in Wales as possible, and that means building a supply chain that’s ready and able to respond.
Cardiff Business Club helps us do that. It offers a platform to speak directly to the businesses we want to work with, those who can help us deliver the infrastructure, provide the skills and services, and even support the wider needs that come with such a large-scale project. We’re not just looking for contractors. We’re looking for accommodation providers, caterers, transport companies, local employers – businesses that will benefit from and contribute to this transformation.
That’s why the Club matters. It brings together people and businesses from across sectors and across Wales. It creates the space for collaboration and, crucially, it helps raise awareness of opportunities.
What’s impressed me most about the Club is how much it has evolved. It’s no longer just grey suits and set-piece speeches. It’s vibrant, inclusive, and creative. One of my personal highlights last season was hearing from Professor Dame Elan Closs Stephens – a session that reflected just how far the Club has come in terms of diversity, both in the audience and on the stage. The number of women in the room has grown. The range of speakers and topics has broadened. It now feels like a much truer reflection of business in Wales today.
If you’re a business thinking about sponsorship or membership, my message is simple: don’t rule it out. I represent a significant energy developer in Wales, and I feel completely at home there. You’ll find the conversations valuable, the connections genuine, and the environment welcoming. And you’ll be joining a network that doesn’t just talk about economic growth – it helps make it happen.
Wales has always had talent, creativity and capability in abundance, but we’ve not always been the best at showing it off. Cardiff Business Club helps to change that. It shines a light on what we have to offer, on our businesses, our people, and our potential. For anyone curious about what’s happening in the Welsh economy, it’s a good place to start.
Catryn Newton talks about this and more in the Capital Conversations, The Cardiff Business Club Podcast episode Corporate Engagement and Cardiff Business Club. Listen to the podcast here.
