CEO and board

The board has 14 members from a cross section of backgrounds.

On 9 November 2010, the 14  board members - including some members of the original steering group, were elected at WSEC's Inaugural meeting. At a further meeting on 7 December 2010, Mal Williams, CEO of Cylch was voted in as Chair.

John Bennett, formerly CEO of multi-award winning social enterprise Pack-IT, is head of the Coalition. He has significant experience in running his own social enterprise and helping to develop social enterprises both in the UK and further afield.

As he leads the Coalition, he seeks to support and represent the views of its members, championing them as first-class business, with social aims. Furthermore, John and the Coalition will support Welsh social enterprises to win contracts and partner with the public and private sectors, as well as each other.

The full board:

Alex Bird (Consultant and chair of Co-operatives and Mutuals Wales)
Alex Bird founded his first cooperative in 1974 and in 2001 he became CEO of Innovate Trust, which provides services to people with disabilities. He also founded Social Firms Wales. He is now a freelance consultant specialising in the social enterprise sector.

Lis Burnett (Senior Lecturer, University of Glamorgan)
Lis Burnett has developed a social enterprise hub at the university, which is a unique and independent resource to support the social enterprise sector in Wales. She has also published a number of research papers on social enterprise herself and is an expert advisor on social enterprise to the National Assembly for Wales.

Tony Crocker MBE (MD of Track 2000)
Years after leaving school with no qualifications, Tony Crocker started Track 2000, a community recycling and reuse project in Cardiff, designed to assist people with special needs in gain qualifications and employment. The company has had phenomenal success and he has been seconded to Japan, America and China to assist in development of social enterprise facilities.

Kelvin Jones (CEO, Gorseinon Development Trust)
Kelvin Jones joined Gorseinon Development Trust in 2006. The trust generates income through several services and facilities, including a nursery, workspaces, conference facilities and a catering arm. He is a board member of DTA Wales and Trustee of Swansea council for voluntary service.

Menna Jones (CEO Antur Waunfawr, Bangor)
Menna Jones has worked in the third sector in Wales for more than 25 years. Over the last ten she has grown Antur Waunfawr from a small community-based voluntary organisation, into a viable and sustainable social enterprise. The organisation now employs more than 80 people and has a turnover of nearly £2 million.

San Leonard (Director, Social Firms Wales/ vol director Social Firms UK)
San has more than 30 years of experience in management and business development within the private sector which she uses to support the growth of commercially viable social businesses.

Brian McManus (Managing Director Dee-Tex Project)
Brian McManus founded Dee-Tex Project, a textile recycling service based in Flintshire, North Wales. He established it with no core funding, but years after the company was incorporated, Dee-Tex is a thriving organisation that now operates from a large warehouse unit and a retail shop, employing 42 people and achieving significant turnover.

Beverley Pold (Business Development/Policy Manager, Chwarae Teg)
Beverley Pold has been a trainer and consultant in the fields of enterprise, business growth, information technology and women returners' programmes for many years. Chwarae Teg ('Fair Play' in English) promotes the economic development of women in Wales. It champions education, entrepreneurship, work-life balance and flexible working.

Brian Popsys (General Manager, Beacons Candles)
Brian Popsy has extensive experience in process development, business systems and senior management gained from working within the manufacturing industry for 25 years. He has been at Beacons Creative Wales Ltd, which runs Beacons Candles, for 18 months

Jenny Sims (CEO Pembrokeshire FRAME Ltd)
FRAME runs community furniture stores, and a horticultural project which all provide work practice, training and employment to more than 200 people who are seen as disadvantaged in the job market.
Jenny Simms set the company up and has developed it to the point of financial sustainability. She also has experience in tendering and contracting with Pembrokeshire County Council.

Derek Walker (CEO, Wales Co-operative Centre)
Derek Walker was previously head of external affairs at the Big Lottery Fund and head of policy and campaigns at the Wales TUC. Promoting equality and social justice have been central themes within in his career and he is committed to strengthening Wales' social economy.

Mark White (Funding officer, Charity Bank)
Mark White has worked with social enterprises in Wales for a number of years and is manager of the bank's Communities Investment Fund. He has also worked with the Welsh Assembly Government to produce guidance notes for business advisers working with social enterprises.

Mal Williams (CEO, Cylch)
Mal Williams has been CEO of Clych, Wales' community recycling network, since it was formed, 13 years ago.He is keen to contribute to the development of a wealthy, profit- making social enterprise sector in Wales, that sets the standard in professionalism, effectiveness and performance in delivering economic, social and environmental outcomes for Wales.

Peter Williams (Director, Development Trusts Association Wales)
For more than 30 years, Peter Williams has worked in community enterprise and environmental regeneration in Wales, mainly through managing or supporting social enterprises of all shapes and sizes.