The Football Association of Wales is pleased to announce the appointment of three Independent Non-executive Directors to its Board following their confirmation at a meeting of the FAW Shareholders on Monday, 12 June.
The FAW is delighted to announce Alys Carlton as the new Independent Chair, with Sameer Rahman and Dr Carol Bell as Independent Non-executive Directors, all of whom bring a variety of experience and specialist knowledge to the Board.
Outgoing Chair, Steve Dalton OBE, said: “I’m incredibly proud to have been at the FAW for 7 years and privileged that 4 of those have been as Chair. As an organisation we have been through many significant changes having modernised the governance structure to ensure that we are well placed to evolve both on and off the field.
“During my time at the Association, we have grown participation levels by record numbers, increased the interest in the Women’s and Girls’ game and are building better grassroots facilities throughout the country to aid the development of our young players and their communities. We were also recently voted the UK Sport Organisation of the Year, which is recognition for everything that has been achieved.
“I step away from the position of Chair to show leadership from the very top of the organisation, as we pursue our strategic aims to ensure we have diversity in our decision-making. We want our decision-makers to be representative of those who are involved in football throughout the country.
“The new Chair and the Board can look forward to a vibrant future as they continue to grow the game for all. I wish them all the very best for the future.”
Noel Mooney, FAW CEO, commented: “We are growing and evolving football across Cymru and these appointments ensure we continue our journey to becoming a world class sports organisation. Diversity of views, agility in our decision-making and a wide range of relevant skills are essential to delivering ‘Our Wales/Ein Cymru’ – our strategy for Welsh football.
“We are delighted to welcome Alys Carlton to Chair the FAW Board and to build upon the huge contribution made by Steve Dalton, who has steered the organisation through significant governance changes that will benefit Welsh football for years to come. I’d also like to thank Tim Naylor who has been a wonderful member of the FAW Board and we wish him very well in the future.”
“In Alys Carlton, we bring a strong legal and leadership lens to our Board. Carol Bell will remain with the Board for a new term bringing huge financial management experience and sustainability experience, and Chairing our Finance, Audit & Risk Committee. Meanwhile, Sameer Rahman has a great data insights and commercial background with experience across Welsh sport.
“This is another step forward for Welsh football as we look ahead to a very bright future.”
The FAW Board members include:
- Independent Chair – Alys Carlton
- Two Independent Directors – Dr Carol Bell & Sameer Rahman
- FAW President – Stephen Williams
- Three FAW Officers – Mark Adams, Mike Jones & Will Lloyd-Williams
- Three elected Council Members – To be confirmed following FAW Council Elections*
- FAW CEO – Noel Mooney
Meet the Independent Non-executive Board Members
Alys Carlton
Alys Carlton has a background in law, working as a corporate lawyer for almost 20 years in the City of London and Wales, including being a partner of the Corporate team at prestigious Cardiff law firm, Capital Law.
Alys has extensive board and governance experience, undertaking duties as a member of the Operating Board of Capital Law, the Vice Chair of the Welsh Government’s Expert Panel on Supporting Entrepreneurial Women, as well as a Non-Executive Director of the Aloud Charity.
Alys has also set up her own business providing coaching, mentoring and strategic advisory services to senior leaders globally.
For Alys, who is a bilingual Welsh / English speaker, working as the Chair of the FAW will give her the opportunity to continue to impact life in Wales in a field that is closely aligned to her interests.
Sameer Rahman
Sameer has extensive experience at Board Level working as a Non-executive and Independent Director, including at the Glamorgan Cricket Club, Millennium Stadium and Bath Building Society, as well as Chairing the Wales Board of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Sameer brings with him a wealth of commercial experience, having undertaken leadership positions in companies such as Go Compare and The Royal Mint, as well as founding and setting up multiple businesses.
Sameer prides himself on his strategic and innovative approach to influencing people, profit and the planet.
Dr. Carol Bell
Carol joins the FAW as an Independent Non-executive Director for a second term, after being the first woman to join this board in this capacity. Carol is also Chair of the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee.
Alongside her work for the FAW, Carol is involved at board level with companies in a range of sectors including Welsh Institutions, Listed Renewable Energy and Financial Services Companies, and academic/research institutions.
Coming from a background in investment banking, Carol has played a key role in the financial management of the FAW and wishes to continue to contribute to the FAW greater focus and future goals.
*FAW Council Elections
The current four-year term of the Council of the Football Association of Wales will come to an end on 31 July 2023 and the election process for a new FAW Council is currently underway.
A guide to the election process can be found here.
