As of the 20th June, Wales’ largest coworking space, the Welsh Innovation Centre for Enterprise (ICE) will appoint Llinos Neale as its new CEO.
Llinos, 32, formerly the Community Manager at ICE, will now take the leading role and work with the board to manage the business and its 700-strong community across its Campus and online platform.
Llinos originally joined Welsh ICE in 2017 as its receptionist, and over the past five years has grown her understanding and impact on the business, taking the lead on a number of key projects. Prior to being the Community Manager at ICE, Llinos worked as the Operations Manager at Cardiff charity, Pedal Power.
Supported by her management team, Llinos will now work closely with the board of directors, including Adrian Walker, who has managed the business and mentored the team as Interim Managing Director for the past year, Stephen Burt, Annie Browne, William Record, Lesley Williams and its Chair, Anthony Record MBE.
Llinos said she was keen to get started: “I’m delighted to take on this new role and am excited to start working with our partners and wider stakeholders. Having started at the grassroots of ICE, I’ve followed the journey of so many of its members, sharing the highs and lows as they start and grow.
“The working environment has changed over the past two to three years, and there are more challenges to overcome. Demand for small office space is growing, but many workers are still adjusting to the changes and weighing up the balance of going back to the office or working from home.
“Coworking remains more than just a place to work, however. 77% of our member businesses have a survival rate of three years or more – higher than the UK average of 61%. When you consider that three-quarters of our businesses have formal agreements with each other – that tells a story.
“In its early days, ICE was often referred to as an incubator – nurturing fledgling businesses and championing entrepreneurship. What ICE provides is the environment for people to succeed. It’s the natural networking that leads to prosperous collaborations. It’s the support of peers who have already experienced and solved the problems facing new members. When people work together, they form a community and grow.
“My role now is to ensure that ICE continues to be the place where people choose to start, grow and build their businesses and careers. That job will be made easier thanks to the fantastic support of my team and the board, and I look forward to building the strategy that can take the company and community forward.”
Chair of ICE, Anthony Record MBE, said: “Having worked in and experienced all aspects of the business – Llinos has a perspective that is unique and gives her a valuable understanding of our ethos that can be difficult to replicate.
“As a Board, we feel Llinos has the ideas and the attitude to lead the organisation and that she will continue to build on our proud achievements. ICE is needed now more than ever, and through our services and Llinos’ leadership, we will be able to continue our significant contribution to Welsh businesses and the wider economy.
Llinos has built an understanding and a rapport with our community that is crucial to what makes ICE such a special place to work. I’m delighted to welcome her into this new role and look forward to working with her, and the rest of the management team, as we continue to make ICE the place to start and grow a business.”
