Llandarcy Park (Ospreys) Ltd, the holding company of Ospreys Rugby, has moved to increase their commercial expertise at boardroom level with the appointment of one of Britain's leading businesswomen in a non-executive role.
Neath born Debra Williams, Welsh Woman of the Year for Innovation in 2006 and recognised as one of the UK’s top 200 business women by the Queen in February 2007, will sit on the board in an advisory capacity following her appointment.
During her 20-year career, Debra has held a number of senior roles and has worked at management level at some the UK’s most well-known businesses including Confused.com and Tesco Compare. During her time as Managing Director of Confused.com, Debra built the business into one of the UK’s leading aggregator sites attracting over 60,000 hits per day and profits of £36m.
A passionate rugby fan who grew up supporting Neath RFC at the Gnoll, Debra still lives in her home-town while consulting with companies across the UK and in Europe. She will provide guidance to the board on commercial matters as well as mentoring commercial and marketing staff at the region, helping them towards delivering strong business results.
Ospreys Chairman, Geoff Atherton, welcomed Debra to the organisation, saying her expertise will help the Ospreys achieve long-term sustainability.
“While we already have individuals on board with both business and rugby expertise, it is important to recognise that we do not hold all the answers, and as such, the appointment of Debra is a huge stride forward” said Mr Atherton.
“She brings her undoubted commercial expertise to the organisation, along with an outstanding business track record, and has a big role to play as we move forward, offering strategic and tactical advice to the board.”
Debra Williams added:
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to work with the Llandarcy Park (Ospreys) Ltd in an advisory role and am really excited about the challenges that lie ahead for the organisation. With my commercial experience and my record for generating growth I believe that I can help the board in their efforts to make the business sustainable which is crucial in trying economic times.”