Following a successful executive search and selection process, the Cardiff Capital Region Regional Cabinet is delighted to endorse the appointment of Nigel Griffiths to the role of Chairperson of the Regional Business Council.
The CCR Business Council plays a key role in working with the CCR Cabinet, the CCR Economic Growth Partnership, and other organisations to ensure there is widespread and representative regional business engagement to both generate ideas and insightful contributions toward shaping the future direction of the Cardiff Capital Region.
Picture by Nick Treharne
Nigel brings with him a wealth of talent, expertise and a desire to put his experiences to good use in providing leadership and a strong business voice to guide both the design and delivery of significant economic development and regeneration activities.
Originally from Ynysmeudwy in the Swansea Valley, Nigel has a law degree from the University of South Wales and is a Chartered Accountant of 30 years standing, having qualified with EY. His first role post qualification was in manufacturing at Catnic Group, from which he went on to undertake a commercial role with the BBC. In 1999 he became the co-founder of Fifth Dimension Systems, a business systems consultancy. The business was one of the fastest growing in Wales, expanding from start up to 160 staff in less than 10 years. The business was subsequently sold to K3 PLC in 2010. More recently he was the COO of Certus Technology Group, a business that was transformed from a small IT Support business to a leading cloud services business, enjoying 400% growth over 6 years. The business was sold to SysGroup PLC in 2019.
Nigel currently works with a portfolio of businesses where he is helping the founding entrepreneurs accelerate growth and profitability. He is Commercial Director of Lexington Corporate Finance, a boutique corporate finance practice, plus he is an investor and Director of Vargo Group, a technology and fintech recruitment and business consultancy. He is also a NED at Doopoll, a survey technology business and an investor Director of Oyster Retail Consultants, an ecommerce technology and consultancy start up.
Nigel said: “I grew up in a mining community and was privileged to have come from a family that believed passionately that a better future was a result of hard work and good education. In my working life I have witnessed the decline of my and many other communities because of economic hardship and lack of ambition. I have been fortunate to have made a good living in the region creating jobs in the technology sector, a now thriving part of the regional economy, none of which existed when I started my degree.
“If the Cardiff City Region is to thrive in the future, it will in my opinion be a consequence of local entrepreneurship and inward investment. We need to make heroes of our business leaders and shine a light on the quality of our environment and the talented workforce at our disposal. I am very proud to have been asked to chair the Business Council. I have a huge passion for business and the region, I will work tirelessly to ensure the council comprises like-minded people determined to make a positive impact.”
Director of Cardiff Capital Region, Kellie Beirne, said: “We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Nigel Griffiths to the role of Chairperson of the Regional Business Council. Having experienced and talented leaders chairing our partnerships is essential and I am delighted to be able to welcome on board an individual of the calibre of Nigel. We are confident that he will bring a new level of focus and purpose to our business engagement activities and ensure that, as we embark upon the next stage of our journey, our regional businesses will have their voices heard and play a far more central role in the CCR decision making process.”
