Sarah Williams-Gardener Appointed as Chair of the Western Gateway Partnership

Appointments Wales , 12th March 2024

Sarah Williams-Gardener, former CEO of FinTech Wales, has been appointed as Chair of the Western Gateway partnership.

As Chief Executive for Fintech Wales Sarah has already been responsible for championing industry to create new opportunities for the fintech in Wales and the UK. As a co-founding member of the innovative Starling Bank, which remains the first British bank to be founded by a woman, and former Director for Government Affairs for IBM UK, she brings significant experience of working across governments, industry, and new start-ups to the role.

The Western Gateway is the first Pan-Regional Partnership to bring together a coalition of cross-party leaders from across two countries in the UK. The partnership brings together business and academia alongside 28 local authorities and two Governments from across South Wales and Western England to create economic growth and reach net zero.

To date, the partnership has spearheaded a vision for a better rail network for the area, created the UK’s first Hydrogen Ecosystem, brought in investment into nuclear, and launched an independent commission to explore the potential for a world leading tidal project in the Severn Estuary.

Sarah said:

“I am really excited to be able to take this opportunity of becoming chair of the Western Gateway. Collaboration is key to truly decarbonising and reaching those vital net zero targets. Our region is in a unique position due to its geography and rich industrial heritage, and has huge potential to deliver innovative communities, highly skilled work-force and world leading companies, not just regionally, but for the whole of the UK.

“A lot has already been achieved here, but there is still so much to do and together, I am ready to engage and work with the Governments in England and Wales to help drive efforts to reach net zero and create new jobs and economic growth. I’d like to thank the area’s business and political leaders with entrusting me with this vital role and look forward to working with them to achieve more for our communities.”

Cllr Jane Mudd, Vice Chair for the Western Gateway Partnership, said:

“I am so glad to welcome Sarah as Chair of our partnership.

“With businesses, academia and a cross party group of local leaders, we are already working together at scale to attract the investment we need to achieve our ambitions for the area.

“I’d like to thank Katherine Bennett CBE who has been at the helm driving our work as chair for the last five years. She has put incredible effort in to getting our partnership off to a flying start and I wish her every success in the future.”

The former chair of the Western Gateway, Katherine Bennett CBE, stepped down at the end of her term in office in December 2023 having been chair since 2019. Following a competitive recruitment process, the Western Gateway Partnership Board appointed Sarah as her successor on 29^th January 2024.

Mae Sarah Williams-Gardener, cyn Brif Swyddog Gweithredol FinTech Cymru, wedi’i phenodi’n Gadeirydd partneriaeth Porth y Gorllewin.

Fel Prif Weithredwr Fintech Cymru mae Sarah eisoes wedi bod yn gyfrifol am hyrwyddo diwydiant i greu cyfleoedd newydd ar gyfer y dechnoleg fin yng Nghymru a’r DU. Fel un o gyd-sefydlwyr y Starling Bank arloesol, sef y banc Prydeinig cyntaf o hyd i gael ei sefydlu gan fenyw, a chyn Gyfarwyddwr Materion Llywodraeth IBM UK, mae ganddi brofiad sylweddol o weithio ar draws llywodraethau, diwydiant, a busnesau newydd. ups at y rôl.

Porth y Gorllewin yw’r Bartneriaeth Gyfan-ranbarthol gyntaf i ddod â chlymblaid o arweinwyr trawsbleidiol o ddwy wlad yn y DU at ei gilydd. Mae’r bartneriaeth yn dod â busnesau, y byd academaidd ac arweinwyr ynghyd o bob rhan o Dde Cymru a Gorllewin Lloegr i greu twf a chyrraedd sero net.

Hyd yn hyn, mae’r bartneriaeth wedi arwain gweledigaeth ar gyfer rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd gwell i’r ardal, wedi creu Ecosystem Hydrogen gyntaf y DU, wedi dod â buddsoddiad mewn niwclear, ac wedi lansio comisiwn annibynnol i archwilio’r potensial ar gyfer prosiect llanw sy’n arwain y byd yn Aber Afon Hafren.

Dywedodd Sarah:

“Rwy’n gyffrous iawn i allu manteisio ar y cyfle hwn i ddod yn gadeirydd Porth y Gorllewin. Mae cydweithredu yn allweddol i ddatgarboneiddio a chyrraedd y targedau sero net hanfodol hynny. Mae ein rhanbarth mewn sefyllfa unigryw oherwydd ei ddaearyddiaeth a’i threftadaeth ddiwydiannol gyfoethog, ac mae ganddo botensial enfawr i ddarparu cymunedau arloesol, gweithlu medrus iawn a chwmnïau sy’n arwain y byd, nid yn unig yn rhanbarthol, ond ar gyfer y DU gyfan.

“Mae llawer wedi’i gyflawni yma eisoes, ond mae cymaint i’w wneud o hyd a gyda’n gilydd, rwy’n barod i ymgysylltu a gweithio gyda Llywodraethau Cymru a Lloegr i helpu i ysgogi ymdrechion i gyrraedd sero net a chreu swyddi newydd a thwf economaidd. Hoffwn ddiolch i arweinwyr busnes a gwleidyddol yr ardal am ymddiried ynof â’r rôl hanfodol hon ac edrychaf ymlaen at weithio gyda nhw i gyflawni mwy dros ein cymunedau.”

Dywedodd y Cynghorydd Jane Mudd, Is-Gadeirydd Partneriaeth Porth y Gorllewin:

“Rwyf mor falch o groesawu Sarah fel Cadeirydd ein partneriaeth.

“Gyda busnesau, y byd academaidd a grŵp trawsbleidiol o arweinwyr lleol, rydym eisoes yn cydweithio ar raddfa fawr i ddenu’r buddsoddiad sydd ei angen arnom i gyflawni ein huchelgeisiau ar gyfer yr ardal.

“Hoffwn ddiolch i Katherine Bennett CBE sydd wedi bod wrth y llyw yn llywio ein gwaith fel cadeirydd am y pum mlynedd diwethaf. Mae hi wedi gwneud ymdrech anhygoel i gael dechrau da i’n partneriaeth a dymunaf bob llwyddiant iddi yn y dyfodol.”

Ymddiswyddodd cyn-gadeirydd Porth y Gorllewin, Katherine Bennett CBE, ar ddiwedd ei chyfnod yn y swydd ym mis Rhagfyr 2023 ar ôl bod yn gadeirydd ers 2019. Yn dilyn proses recriwtio gystadleuol, penododd Bwrdd Partneriaeth Porth y Gorllewin Sarah fel ei holynydd ar 29 Ionawr 2024.