Barcud is delighted to announce the appointment of our new Group Chair of the Board, Alison Thorne, who will join the association at the beginning of April 2023.
Alison brings valuable knowledge as a very experienced board member and has an exceptional track record in leadership roles. Her diverse perspective and solid strategic thinking make her an ideal person to lead our Board of Directors as we continue to grow and adapt in a rapidly changing industry.
Alison Thorne is a Chair, Non-Executive Director, Trustee and Committee member, and founder of ‘atconnect’, a Business and People Development Company.
She has had a global corporate career in retail, holding executive board roles at Mothercare, George at Asda and Otto UK with executive leadership roles at Kingfisher and Storehouse, specialising in Operations, Buying, Merchandising and Sourcing.
Her career then developed into Executive search as a partner in a boutique search firm before setting up ‘atconnect’, a business that supports companies to deliver successful teams through executive search and mentoring working in Media, Digital, Retail, Housing and Health Care sectors.
Alison has also developed a Non-Executive career, being previously a Non-Executive Director for Thought Provoking Consulting, a trustee at Tropical Forest Trust
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(sustainable forest management) and a trustee and then Chair at Chwarae Teg (Wales’s leading equality charity).
She is a board member for Sport Wales, where she Chairs the Facilities Review and is a Governor for Cardiff Metropolitan University. Alison builds on her equality work as the Wales Lead for Women on Boards and is an Independent Panel Member for Public Appointments for the Welsh Government.
The Barcud group also like to take this opportunity to thank 2 outgoing Chairs for their hard work and leadership. John Jenkins, has given dedicated service and invaluable contributions during his tenure. Under his leadership over the last 2 years, we have achieved significant success, and we are grateful for his commitment to our company’s strategy and vision. Also Dafydd Lewis, who took over following John’s departure at the beginning of the year. Dafydd, an ex-Local Government Corporate Director and Chair of Group Cynefin, has provided support and stability during the recruitment process and will remain a valuable member of the Barcud Board.
As we welcome Alison, we are confident that her expertise, guidance, and vision will position us for continued success and growth at Barcud.