IoD Wales announced the winners of its Director of the Year Awards at a ceremony held on May 12, 2023, at ICC Wales, Newport, in the presence of a gathering of business leaders.

The shortlisted candidates comprised of leaders from various sectors and organisations throughout Wales.

The awards celebrate leadership talent, success, and highlights business excellence and significant contributions leaders can make to the social and economic prosperity in the community.

In partnership with Cardiff Business School, the following winners were announced:

• Director of the Year – Third & Public Sector sponsored by Tantrwm – Lisa Griffiths, The Bracken Trust
• Director of the Year – Sustainability sponsored by S’Investec – Frankie Hobro, Anglesey Sea Zoo & Marine Resource Centre
• Director of the Year – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion sponsored by CIPD, Mark Frost, Glamorgan Cricket & Cricket Wales
• Director of the Year – Non Executive Director sponsored by Goodson Thomas, Dr Carol Bell, FA Wales
• Director of the Year – Young sponsored by Sony UK Technology Centre, Rachel Meese-Kendall, Crimewatch Alarms
• Director of the Year – Innovation sponsored by Industry Wales, Aled Rhys Davies, Pruex
• Director of the Year – Skills Development sponsored by Educ8 Training, Emma Thomas, Alun Griffiths Contractors
• Director of the Year – International sponsored by Halo Financial, Stephen Davies, The Welsh Whiskey Company
• Director of the Year – Small-Medium Business (up to £15mil) sponsored by Development Bank of Wales, Linda Grant, BIC Innovation
• Director of the Year – Start Up sponsored by Welsh Government, Shayoni Lynn, Lynn Group

Four directors were also recognised and given Highly Commended awards, Judi Rhys MBE from Tenovus Cancer Care for Public & Third Sector, Caroline Platt from The Platts Group for Sustainability, Matthew Phillips from Focus MEP for Young and Janey Howell from BCB International for International.

It was also announced that Laura McAllister, Professor of Public Policy and the Governance of Wales, Cardiff University and Vice President of UEFA, was the recipient of this year’s Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Director and Board Practice.

Richard Selby, National Chair of IoD Wales said:

“It is truly remarkable to see someone like Laura McAllister achieve such significant accomplishments in various fields, ranging from sports to politics and leadership. Laura’s work in promoting gender equality and women's football is particularly noteworthy, and her election as Vice President of the UEFA executive committee is a testament to her dedication and hard work.

As the first Welsh person to serve on the UEFA executive committee, she has opened up new doors for future generations, and her achievements serve as a source of inspiration for young women who aspire to make a difference in various fields. It is indeed a great honour for her to receive this year's Chair Award, and she deserves to be recognized for her outstanding contributions.”

Jo Price, Nations Manager, IoD Wales said:

“We are thrilled to have recognised and celebrated our deserving winners. The judging panel faced a difficult decision in selecting from the impressive shortlist, yet each winner demonstrated exceptional leadership and accomplishments, despite the challenging circumstances of the past few years.

We extend our gratitude to all of our sponsors for their support in making this event at ICC Wales a resounding success. We eagerly anticipate following the remarkable achievements of our winners in the years ahead.”

Professor Rachel Ashworth, Dean of Cardiff Business School, said:

“We’re so proud to sponsor this annual celebration of excellence in Welsh business leadership.

“Businesses of all kinds have continued to operate under the most challenging of circumstances. Despite these challenges, their leaders have remained focused on supporting their businesses to make significant societal and economic contributions to Wales and the world. A mission that we very much share as the Public Value Business School.”