SOCIAL FIRMS WALES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Huffington Post 's Founder
Job Titles:
- Freelance Associate
- Freelance Consultant
With a background in the computer industry comprising 15 years in senior management/director positions across the UK, Geoff has spent the past 12 years in Small Business Consultancy, delivering advice, support and training to the SME and Third Sector marketplace. Developing considerable experience in this sector, he has delivered a number of significant projects around Merseyside.
Job Titles:
- Enterprise Development Advisor
Jan has many years of experience supporting small and large for-profit and not-for-profit businesses. Jan loves working with social businesses to help them start up, develop, and become self-sufficient, believing passionately this improves equity, employment and empowerment for individuals from diverse backgrounds
Jan previously worked in Commercial Finance for NatWest, Bank of Scotland and Finance Wales, as a Business Advisor for Wales Co-operative Centre, Business Wales and Superfast Business Wales, and as a Development Officer for Carmarthenshire Association of Voluntary Services.
Jan has set up and grown her own Commercial Finance and Blog business, and holds an ILM in Social Enterprise.
Jan has experience of working with individuals living with challenges including mental health and learning difficulties, so works in an encouraging and positive manner at a pace and style to suit each client.
Within the Social Firms Wales team, Jan specialises in Business Planning, Cashflow Forecast development, Marketing, Operational Strategy, and Funding.
Job Titles:
- Values Based Inclusion Officer
Ravi has many years' experience working as a Community Development practitioner in the statutory and the third sectors in Wales and England; she believes that communities have the potential, creativity, energy, skills, and networks they need to develop fantastic places to work and live in. Ravi's heroes are the many thousands of individuals and groups across Wales who establish, run and volunteer for non-profits.
Educated to a degree level Ravi is an Occupational Psychology Graduate from Cardiff University; she has an ILM in Social Enterprise through the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, a Certificate in Teaching Adult Learners (CTAL) , and is an Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) practice guide. Training delivery has included generic and bespoke training on funding, governance, equalities, planning and community development .
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive
- Chief Executive Officer
- Director
- Secretary
Currently employed as a Chief Executive of Social Firms Wales, San Leonard is a highly professional business person and entrepreneur who is passionate about working at the heart of community regeneration to develop opportunities that bring about sustainable social change.
Working within family businesses from a very early age, she has successfully grown several business enterprises. Now, with more than 30 years in management and business development within the private sector, she uses that experience whilst working to support the growth of commercially viable social businesses that offer paid employment and career advancement in a mixed ability, supportive business environment.
With considerable first-hand knowledge of working with people with disabilities, San is well placed and understands fully, the need to develop training and work opportunities for people who are often the furthest from the labour market. These valuable experiences and skills are utilised to their fullest in helping and advising organisations who work directly with some of the most excluded groups in today's society.
Successes have been built on both a good understanding of all sectors within the community and the ability to look at the wider vision and opportunities. Recognised by her peers as a clear strategic thinker, San clearly demonstrates the ability to build long-term cross sector supportive relationships.
San specialises in helping Local Authorities to move trading operations and day services out of Local Authority ownership into external independent Social Firms. A well-respected advocate of cross-sector partnership working, she recognises the real benefits that can be accrued by working with other professional practitioners to bring about sustainable social change. She is ever mindful however, that this approach is not a "quick fix" option but more, a long-term solution to address changing attitudes in society.
Job Titles:
- Administrator / Member Services
Sue provides consistent and high quality support for both staff and Social Firms Wales members.
Sue has over 22 years' experience supporting a client base of 500 plus with a major PLC and is therefore well equipped to support Social Firms Wales and its members. Sue prides herself on delivering a reliable and efficient administrative service.
Latterly, Sue has experience working in the third sector with the Welsh Government and Communities First providing a monthly e bulletin and assisting with organising courses and functions; gaining a reputation with the Communities First Team in the Welsh Government as someone who can deliver quality outputs in a timely and efficient manner.
Job Titles:
- Social & Corporate Governance Advisor
Vina has many years of experience working in the private, the statutory and the third sectors. She has a passionate belief that a strong foundation and good governance is paramount for any organisation, to enable a clear vision to be maintained and due diligence carried out, supporting long-term financial and social objectives to be fully achieved.
Educated to a degree level Vina is a Chemistry Graduate and more recently completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Community Regeneration, working with organisations such as SC Johnson, BP Chemicals, Cardiff Council and various voluntary sector organisations.
As part of the team at Social Firms Wales, Vina specialises in ensuring that robust governance structures are in place, working along-side developing Social Firms/enterprises to achieve such. In addition Vina provides bespoke in-house training to new company Boards of Directors.