The Ofcom Advisory Committee for Wales has grown is size today as six new members are appointed to represent interests and opinions of people living in Wales on all communications matters. The new members includes Julie Barton, Editor of BBC Radio Wales.
The new members details, in full, are:
[b]Julie Barton[/b] (three year term) is a media consultant living near Pontypridd. She worked for BBC Wales for more than 20 years, and spent the last six as Editor, BBC Radio Wales. She trains students and media staff across Wales in all aspects of radio. She represents the National Union of Journalists on the Broadcast Journalism Training Council, and is also a Trustee of the Welsh Refugee Council. Julie is also learning Welsh.
[b]Charlie Bass[/b] (four year term) lives in Flintshire and runs an e-commerce and website consultancy providing business process and technology based advice to organisations across Wales , the UK and Europe. Previously he worked as a communications and avionics engineer in the Royal Navy Fleet Arm before joining AT&T to set up its Microelectronics division in the UK and Private Networks Division in the Middle East and Africa. He is a former Chairman of the Wales Broadband Stakeholders Group.
[b]John Davies[/b] (four year term) is a telecommunications consultant and communications company director. The former Director of BT Wales and Chief Operations Officer of BT Wholesale, John has an MBA from London Business School. He lives in Cardiff and is a Council Member of the Prince’s Trust Cymru.
[b]Mark Elliott [/b](three year term) works for Ceredigion County Council as Assistant Director of Corporate Performance where his responsibilities include performance management, public relations, e-Government, community safety, community planning, civil contingencies and corporate health and safety. He is a Trustee and Deputy Chair of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.
[b]Glyn Mathias[/b] (four year term) lives in Brecon and is the Electoral Commission’s member for Wales. He has over 30 years’ experience as a broadcast journalist for ITN and BBC and is a former public affairs consultant. Glyn is a former Welsh adviser for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and a published author. He is currently a Trustee of Autism Cymru and Director of Brecon Action, an economic regeneration group.
[b]Gary Partridge[/b] (four year term) is a Chartered Accountant and became a Corporate Finance Partner with PKF (UK) LLP in 2004. He has previously worked for Finance Wales as a Venture Capital Director and for BT executing global mergers and acquisitions transactions for the Group. Prior to that he was Assistant Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers ( London and Budapest ). He is currently the Vice President of the South Wales Society of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and will serve a one-year term as President in 2008/9.
Additionally, Nick Bennett has been re-appointed to the Committee for a further three year term. Originally from Anglesey, Nick is Chief Executive of Community Housing Cymru as well as a non-executive Director of Bute Communications. A former director of Newidiem economic development consultancy, between 1996 and 1999 he was Regional Policy Adviser at the Wales European Centre in Brussels before being appointed Cabinet Special Adviser to the Deputy First Minister in the first partnership coalition of the Welsh Assembly Government. Nick is a fluent Welsh speaker.
Ian Clarke will remain as a member of the committee as will the Committee’s Chair, Professor Tony Davies, until 2008.
Rhodri Williams, Director Wales, Ofcom said: “The Advisory Committee will play an important role in advising Ofcom on communications matters that effect Wales.
“The communications landscape is undergoing huge change in Wales with digital switchover beginning in 2009 and next generation networks being piloted in South Wales.
“The Committee will continue to provide Ofcom with advice on key issues for Welsh consumers and citizens”
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