Who Won What? IoD Wales Director of the Year Awards 2025 Winners Announced

Who Won What? IoD Wales Director of the Year Awards 2025 Winners Announced

The IoD Wales Director of the Year Awards 2025 took place at ICC Wales, celebrating outstanding leadership across Wales’ business, public, and third sectors. Hosted by Carole Green of ITV Cymru and held in partnership with Cardiff Business School, the event brought together more than 300 business leaders to recognise those shaping the future of the Welsh economy.

🏆 Congratulations to the Winners:

Skills Development (sponsored by Portal Training)

• Winner: Craig Weeks, JCB
• Highly Commended: Sameer Rahman, Datamonet Ltd

Innovation (sponsored by Pro Steel Engineering)

• Winner: Dr David Banner MBE, Wales Interactive
• Highly Commended: Daniel Edmunds, Espanaro Ltd

Public & Third Sector (sponsored by Buffoon Media)

• Winner: Rhian Mannings, 2wish Cymru and 2wish

Start-Up (sponsored by Space2B at The Maltings)

• Winner: Owain James, Darogan Ltd

Small Business (under 50 employees, sponsored by Development Bank of Wales)

• Winner: Daniel Edmunds, Espanaro Ltd
• Highly Commended: Gareth I Jones, Town Square Spaces Ltd
• Highly Commended: Robert Lewis, Celtic Financial Planning Ltd

Non-Executive (sponsored by PDS)

• Winner: Sarah Williams-Gardener, Fintech Wales
• Highly Commended: Karl Gilmore, DEEP

Medium–Large Business (over 50 employees, sponsored by Genero Group)

• Winner: Bernard Ward, Acorn by Synergie

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (sponsored by Ministry of Defence – Defence Relationship Management)

• Winner: Lesley Williams, Welsh ICE
• Highly Commended: Ruth Partington, Empower Translate (Global) Ltd
• Highly Commended: Sadique Maskeen, Umbrella Faith

International (sponsored by GE Aerospace)

• Winner: Steven Pearce, Mine Environment Management
• Highly Commended: Joanna Morgan, Radnor Preserves

Sustainability (sponsored by Welsh Government)

• Winner: Robert Lewis, Celtic Financial Planning Ltd
• Highly Commended: Jarrad Morris, FleetEV

Chair’s Award for Excellence

• Winner: Jane Tranter, Co-founder, Bad Wolf

This year’s awards were a powerful showcase of leadership, innovation, and impact across all sectors of Welsh society.

🎉 Special Recognition to Fintech Wales Leadership:

• Sarah Williams-Gardener – Winner, Non-Executive Director of the Year

For more on this year’s awards and the full list of winners, visit the IoD Wales website.