Digital Connectivity plays an enabling role in all Industries and is an area which is growing in demand.
In this latest virtual discussion from Ambition North Wales, host Bethan Williams-Price and guests discuss the importance of Digital Connectivity for North Wales, for businesses and residents within the region.
The Digital Divide in North Wales from Business News Wales on Vimeo.
Guests Profiles
Askar Sheibani
Askar Sheibani is the Chief Executive of the Comtek Group which has its Head Office in Deeside.
An entrepreneur from age 8, Askar created Comtek over 25 years ago in a garden shed. The Comtek Group
now has offices in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Deeside, Reading and Belfast, and has recently expanded to Silicon
Valley, USA through the acquisition of Sorrento Networks, a leading telecoms R&D and manufacturing
company. Comtek has seen an impressive growth rate recently and has created outstanding, cutting edge,
world class telecommunications technology centres. Askar has been business advisor to the Secretary of State for Wales and various other UK Government Ministers. Askar is the Chair of Ambition North Wales’ Business Delivery Board, he is also the founder and Chair
of Deeside Business Forum.
Tom Burke
Borne of the Covid pandemic, Haia is responding to the demand not only for online events during the
pandemic, but for hybrid events post-covid. It serves as a web based platform allowing organisations to create
online or hybrid events. Founded in August 2020 by Tom Burke and Andy Esser, Haia was started as a major
Innovate UK project, securing £425,000 to build the Beta version of Haia and developing language technology
with Bangor University. Haia were finalists in the Wales Start-up Awards and have hundreds of registered users already.
Stuart Whitfield
Formerly with Denbighshire County Council since 2016 working within Economic Development and Business
support. Prior to joining DCC Stuart spent a year in the private sector coordinating commercial and publically
funded R&D projects in advanced chemical and electrical technologies with applications in manufacturing and
the circular economy, involving international consortia of partners in industry and academia.
Stuart moved to North Wales in 2008 and joined Conwy County Borough Council working on rural development
projects through to 2015, including in faming, renewable energy, forestry and food production. He’s had
previous roles in logistics and financial services and have science degrees in climate change and marine
biology.
Kirrie Roberts
Kirrie joined Ambition North Wales in January 2021 as the Digital Connectivity Project Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the gambling & casinos industry. Kirrie also has a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) in Sports, Health, and Physical Education from Bangor University. Kirrie currently lives in Y Felinheli with her husband and her dog Cybi. Kirrie’s main hobbies are travelling the world, keeping fit in the gym, and participating in physical challenges.
