Officers

Agnes Xavier- Phillips JP DL

Agnes Xavier-Phillips is a qualified Solicitor who read law at Cardiff University and completed her Law Society finals at Guildford College of Law. She is also a qualified CEDR Accredited Mediator. After working in private practice, she moved in-house and has worked for Nat West Bank, Abbey National and GE Capital specialising in Banking and Financial Services.

She is the former General Counsel and Client Relationship Manager of GE Capital. She was also the Hub Leader for GE Women’s Network and represented the Financial Services Industry on the Access to Justice Working Party on the Woolf Reforms. She also participated in the former Lord Mayor of the City of London Dame Fiona Woolf’s mayoral programme in 2013-14. She was GE’s representative at the Legal Committee of the Council of Mortgage Lenders and Founder Chairperson of the Finance and Leasing Litigation Forum.

She is a Freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of the City Solicitors of London, City of London Arbitrators , Master of the Worshipful Livery Company of Wales, Chair of their PR Committee and Trustee of their Charitable Trust. She has stopped full time employment and now pursues a portfolio career.

She is a Member of Cardiff University Council, Audit and Risk, Redundancy and Fellowship Committees and Board Member of Cardiff University Students Union. She is a Member of Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water), Vice President Member of Cardiff Business Club.

In April 2018, Agnes was appointed a Justice of the Peace and sits on the Mid Wales Bench. In October 2019 she was appointed Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Gwent,

Agnes has a varied and successful career background including teaching and a nursing career culminating in her appointment as Nursing Officer after a meteoric rise and this was prior to her very successful legal career. Agnes actively supports charities including Noah’s Ark, Maggies and the Vanguard Centre in Caerphilly.

Senior Warden - Henry Gilbert MSc; BA (Hons); FCIOB; FCIPD

Henry the former High Sheriff of West Glamorgan, was admitted to the Worshipful Livery Company of Wales on 27 November 2018. His main focus is on community development and in particular the vulnerable and under-represented groups. As such, he has championed the interests of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. Henry is also the founder and Chair of the registered charity "Heartbeat Trust UK" whose aims and objectives are to improve the survival rate of out of hospital cardiac arrests through the strategic placement and greater awareness of publicly accessible defibrillators. As a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Henry is keen to support the aims of the Livery Company with its focus on developing Welsh talent within the Arts, Science and Technology.

Junior Warden - Dr. Jane Croad

Jane Croad (junior Warden Worshipful Livery Company of Wales) grew up in Risca, South Wales, attending Howell’s school Llandaff, Cardiff and Bassaleg Comprehensive School. After gaining a BSc in Biology from Manchester University she started her career with Johnson & Johnson (medical) in Ascot Berkshire UK, and New Brunswick New Jersey US, gaining wide experience in International Business.

Returning to Wales as Business Development Director for Gwalia Housing, among other projects, she led the first multimillion pound collaborative for student accommodation development between Aberystwyth University, Gwalia Housing and Ceredigion County Council achieving excellent student facilities, tourist opportunities and reinvigorating the previously dilapidated sea front of Aberystwyth.

After having two daughters Jane returned to academia lecturing in International Marketing and Macroeconomics at Cardiff Metropolitan University and collaborating in academic projects with organisation throughout Europe and globally including Cape Town and Durban, South Africa; St. Petersburg , Russia: Talin, Estonia, Helsinki Finland.

Jane’s PhD and ongoing research focus is Sustainable Economic Development of towns and cities driven by attracting skilled people. As an entrepreneur Jane with her husband has over decades developed a property portfolio and she was CEO of Centre for Towns and Cities research and consultancy for International businesses such as Finnforest in Helsinki, Boston and Newport S. Wales and Local Government such as Manchester City Council, Bristol City Council, Kent County Council and others advising on Attraction motivators for economic, social and sustainable development. Jane continues to be involved in academic research and consultancy projects Internationally and has had an active charity portfolio for decades as a mentor for The Prince’s Trust, a Trustee for Pedal Power and Tafflab Wales, Cardiff, Governor of St. David’s College, Cardiff, and Chair of Wales Assembly of Women a UN recognised organisation.

As a member of the Worshipful Livery Company of Wales she is particularly focused on working as part of the WLCoW team to grow membership and develop fundraising to help the organisation grow and thrive into the future.

Immediate Past Master - Major John Charles, TD*, DL, BSc, IEng, MCIOB, MInstRE, AMICE

John Charles was born in Glyncornel, Tonypandy and was educated at Tonypandy Grammar School, Polytechnic of Wales and Coventry (Lanchester) Polytechnic.

John works the Construction Industry undertaking various roles as his career has progressed, he currently acts as a Technical Manager for Morgan Sindall Construction in Tongwynlais. He is a Past Chairman of the Cardiff Centre and South Wales Region of the Chartered Institution of Building.

John was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant in June 2012. He served for over 40-years in the Reserve Army, retiring on age in November 2019.

John is Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary & Trustee of various Service Charities, Scouts and of his Regiment’s Museum. He is Chairman of Trustees the Wales Reserves & Cadet Fund.

John is a Vice President of both Penygraig & Pontypridd RFC, a dedicated follower of the Welsh Team, a keen railway enthusiast, volunteering on the Talyllyn Railway and is a dedicated allotmenteer. John is a member of the Technical Committee of the Rhondda Tunnel Society

The Clerk - David Sneddon MA ( Hons) CA

The Worshipful Livery Company of Wales David is a Scottish Chartered Accountant (CA) who has resided in Monmouthshire since 1997. A vastly experienced Chief Financial Officer having held several senior positions throughout his career. After graduating with a masters degree from Aberdeen University, his career started with KPMG in Edinburgh before moving into the aluminium industry, working for Alcan / Novelis for over 21 years, holding financial and operational positions including the Novelis Europe CFO based in Zurich. David has held a number of CFO roles more recently with US listed offshore driller Seadrill and Leviathan Engineering and after leaving the large corporate world in 2018, has been working with a portfolio of owner managed SME and private equity backed businesses in finance, turnaround and NED roles. Married to Jackie with five children and four grandchildren, they enjoy travel, eating out, theatre , swimming and walking their two dogs.

Treasurer – Colin Morris BA (Hons), FCA, CPFA

An alumnus of the University of Exeter, Colin is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a member of Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Having qualified with a predecessor firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers, he spent the early part of his career in the venture and development capital sector, with a particular focus on technology investment.

Colin subsequently held senior positions in the former Welsh Development Agency and the Welsh Government, including those of Deputy Regional Director for South West Wales, Deputy Director of Finance of the Welsh European Funding Office and Head of Communities First.

Before taking early retirement from the Welsh Government, he was Head of Employability with responsibility for employment support programmes across Wales, particularly focussed on young people, those with complex barriers to employment and individuals facing redundancy.

Throughout his career Colin has worked with partners in the public, private, academic and third sectors. He has also undertaken voluntary Treasurer roles for a local church and a community rugby club. Colin was admitted to the Worshipful Livery Company of Wales and became Treasurer on 23 August 2024.