{"id":29542,"date":"2017-09-27T18:02:01","date_gmt":"2017-09-27T17:02:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citywomen.co.uk\/wp2016\/?page_id=29542"},"modified":"2021-06-24T13:30:47","modified_gmt":"2021-06-24T12:30:47","slug":"gwen-rhys","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gwenrhys.com\/index.php\/gwen-rhys\/","title":{"rendered":"Gwen Rhys"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.me\/a5yFOz-7Vm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"29662\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/gwenrhys.com\/index.php\/gwen-rhys\/grhys2-background\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gwenrhys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/GRhys2-background.jpg?fit=2195%2C2702&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2195,2702\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;3.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 500D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1478174120&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;20&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.02&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"GRhys2 (background)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Gwen Rhys&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gwenrhys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/GRhys2-background.jpg?fit=244%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gwenrhys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/GRhys2-background.jpg?fit=832%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-29662 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gwenrhys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/GRhys2-background.jpg?resize=244%2C300\" alt=\"Gwen Rhys\" width=\"244\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gwenrhys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/GRhys2-background.jpg?resize=244%2C300&amp;ssl=1 244w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gwenrhys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/GRhys2-background.jpg?resize=768%2C945&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gwenrhys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/GRhys2-background.jpg?resize=832%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 832w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gwenrhys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/GRhys2-background.jpg?w=2000 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 244px) 100vw, 244px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<h5>Building Relationships<\/h5>\n<p>First and foremost a relationship-builder, I can rapidly build rapport with a wide range of people from diverse backgrounds and age-range. My ability to link and connect people and to bring a fresh and innovate approach are well-known, as is my energy and enthusiasm for everything that I undertake.<\/p>\n<h5>Championing Diversity, Inclusion and Social Mobility<\/h5>\n<p>I\u2019m passionate about diversity, inclusion and supporting social mobility and I am proud to mentor students and young people at the outset of their careers. It gives me enormous pleasure to see them succeed in both their professional and personal lives.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years my working life has focused particularly on gender diversity and I have been honoured for my work in this area through <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.citywomen.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Women in the City<\/a><\/strong>, an organisation I founded in 2003:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>identified as one of the top 50 diversity figures in public life in the Global Diversity List (2015)<\/li>\n<li>listed in Brummell magazine\u2019s 30 Most Influential Women in the City (2012)<\/li>\n<li>won and a Global Excellence Award the Women in the City Annual Celebration Lunch (2011)<\/li>\n<li>won an international Stevie Women in Business Award in the Women Helping Women Category (2011)<\/li>\n<li>named Management Champion by the City Branch of the Chartered Management Institute (2009)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Entrepreneurship and Corporate Experience<\/h5>\n<p>My 40+ years of business experience intertwines periods of corporate life and self-employment.<\/p>\n<p>After studying Business in Hull, I moved to London in the early 1970s, starting my working career for a specialist early English and scholarly music publisher as Executive Assistant to the Managing Director. Later I was given responsible for building the company\u2019s new venture into music typesetting, at that time a dying skill in the UK.<\/p>\n<p>This taste for intrapreneurship encouraged me to <strong>set up my own business<\/strong> providing a specialist word-processing service. Clients included barristers\u2019 chambers, medical market research companies, advertising agencies and Hollywood film companies.<\/p>\n<p>I sold the business in 1987 and went on to <strong>work throughout the UK on a number of fixed-term government-funded initiatives to raise the aspirations of young people in some of the country\u2019s most economically and socially deprived areas<\/strong>. Much of this work centred on developing and delivering innovative programmes in partnership with businesses, schools, colleges and universities. Bringing together and\/or being part of a wide range local, regional and national working parties and committees was a key part of the success of this work.<\/p>\n<p>Highlights included:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Restructuring a YTS programme for 100 young people to improve their attendance, enhance attainment and secure better quality placements and job offers.<\/li>\n<li>Preparing a best practice work experience booklet for London-wide SMEs.<\/li>\n<li>Developing a Teacher Placement Programme to enable teachers of ethnic minority backgrounds to spend 2 weeks in local businesses<\/li>\n<li>Brokering knowledge-sharing partnerships between headteachers and business leaders.<\/li>\n<li>Securing private-sector funding to develop the highly successful Merseyside-wide programme called \u201cStepping Out\u201d which encouraged 7-11 year olds to broaden their horizons.<\/li>\n<li>In West Yorkshire encouraged SMEs to adopt the Investor in People standard and enhance the skills base of the workforce.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In 1995 I was appointed <strong>Chief Executive of Westminster Enterprise Agency<\/strong> and during my time there developed the <strong>EW-network<\/strong> to support female entrepreneurs. This network was subsequently managed by my business Networking Culture and continued its close partnership with Barclays Bank which had been its founding sponsor. In 2000, I staged a conference at the Barbican entitled On Women, On Business, On Line.<\/p>\n<h5>The 21st Century &#8211; all about building social capital<\/h5>\n<p>At the start of the new century, I returned to entrepreneurship and built a consultancy business working with a wide range of organisations, helping them and their employees to build, nurture and leverage their social capital. I worked extensively in the corporate sector and my clients included Intel, ICI, Shell, M&amp;S; high street and investment banks, Barclays, Credit Suisse, Lloyds TSB, Barclays Capital; nation-wide charities such as British Heart Foundation; universities including the London Business School, Cranfield and Oxford Brookes; professional practices including BDO, Withers; Alliance Bernstein; trade associations and organisations such as The King\u2019s Fund.<\/p>\n<p>In 2003 I organised a lunch to bring together professional women working in the City and this one-off event has evolved into the organisation <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.citywomen.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Women in the City<\/a><\/strong> (WiC) which has developed a strong brand presence within and beyond the City. Its awards programme is highly regarded with its Future Leaders Award being instrumental in building tomorrow\u2019s C-suite.<\/p>\n<p>WiC has secured financial sponsorship from some of the UK&#8217;s and the City&#8217;s leading companies and organisations including ICAEW, HSBC, Lloyds, Jaguar, AXA Commercial, Capgemini, Penna, Coutts, Google, Bluefin, Heidrick &amp; Struggles, Barclays Wealth.<\/p>\n<p>WiC has also worked in partnership with Wells Fargo, Wine Australia, RICS, University of Chicago Booth University, A T Kearney, CII, Bar Council, Law Society.<\/p>\n<p>WiC has actively supported the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelordmayorsappeal.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Lord Mayor&#8217;s Appeal<\/strong><\/a> and was one of the sponsors of the 2017 Sheriffs&#8217; Ball.<\/p>\n<h5>Personal<\/h5>\n<p>I am a media commentator, frequent conference speaker and panellist and was one of the Judges of the 2014 and 2015 European Diversity Awards.<\/p>\n<p>In 2015 I was invited to become a Senior Advocate, Finance and Professional Services sector for the Welsh Government.<\/p>\n<p>I sat on the Committee for the 150th London Fire Brigade Charity Gala Dinner in 2016.<\/p>\n<p>I lived in North London for the majority of my adult life, but moved to Brackley, South Northamptonshire in 2003 where I served 2&#215;4-year terms as a Brackley Town Councillor, stepping down before the May 2015 elections when I was Master Glass Seller.\u00a0 During my time as Councillor, I Chaired the Planning and Direct Responsibilities Committees and the Communications Working Party. I also represented the Council on local organisations.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/gwenrhys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Gwen-Rhys-CV-June-2021.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Download my CV<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Building Relationships First and foremost a relationship-builder, I can rapidly build rapport with a wide range of people from diverse backgrounds and age-range. My ability to link and connect people and to bring a fresh and innovate approach are well-known, as is my energy and enthusiasm for everything that I undertake. Championing Diversity, Inclusion and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29667,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Gwen Rhys | GWEN RHYS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Gwen Rhys is first and foremost a relationship building bringing energy, enthusiasm, bringing a fresh and innovative approach.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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