Meet the Trustees

Karl Napirella MBE
Chairman Karl has a long and distinguished career in education, having previously held the position of director of education within a local authority, and more recently at the Welsh Government. Karl is passionate about improving children’s attainment through new and innovative ways of learning. Karl provides valuable leadership to the board of trustees, in particular our Education pillar.

Chris Richards
Chris is currently the deputy chairman of Ospreys Rugby. Renowned for his success in business, Chris has a keen passion for enterprise and entrepreneurship. Among other projects, Chris spends much of his time advising student groups and senior management at Southampton University, helping with a range of social enterprise projects.

Prof. Andrew Davies
Andrew is an honorary professor and a graduate of Swansea University, where he also trained as a teacher. He was a founding member of the National Assembly, representing the constituency of Swansea West From 1999 to 2011 and served as a Welsh Government cabinet minister for over 10 years alongside First Minister Rhodri Morgan. After he stood down from the National Assembly, he was appointed as chairman of Swansea Bay University Health Board in 2012, a position he retired from in 2019.  Previously he was also chair of the National Dance Company Wales, chair of the Welsh Co-operatives and Mutuals Commission and a non-executive director of the U.K. Charity Bank. Andrew provides valuable support to the Board, especially on our Health pillar.

Roger Blyth
Roger is the director of Ospreys Rugby. Roger has had a distinguished career in both business and sport, representing Swansea RFC and Wales no less than 393 and 6 times respectively. Roger's wealth of experience in business development and governance brings great value to the board.

Judith James
Judith has worked in Swansea University for 28 years and is head of strategic regional collaboration. She has extensive experience in developing and maintaining external relationships for the university, working with employers, local authorities, other education providers, and the voluntary sector in the region. Judith also coordinates an innovation and engagement network across the university. As a member of the UNESCO Expert Group on Developing Learning Cities, Judith was influential in bringing the UNESCO Learning City pilot to Swansea.

Robyn Lock
Robyn is a young and exciting entrepreneur who is deftly balancing the running of her own business, a full-time job, and an emerging rugby career. Robyn is a franchise owner of Didi rugby and works for the social enterprise Freedom Leisure. Having moved to Swansea to study at Swansea University, she has found home and is now fully integrated into the Swansea way of life. In October 2019, Robyn was named in the Wales Women rugby squad and is hopeful of gaining her first cap in the 2019/20 season.

Martyn Waygood
Martyn was born in Swansea and educated at Bishop Gore School, before studying Law at University College of Wales Aberystwyth. He also earned a Masters’ Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Glamorgan. Martyn worked in sales and marketing in the private sector but underwent a career change in the late 1980s entering the Magistrates' Court Service in Hampshire. Martyn eventually became Clerk to the Justices in Cardiff in 2000 responsible for the legal and administrative management of the court. He is now a recently retired judge who specialised in asylum and immigration appeals.