Welsh Rugby Union appoints Andrew Williams as final independent board member
- Published
Andrew Williams is a former Cardiff Rugby board member
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has appointed ex-tech company boss Andrew Williams as its final independent non-executive director.
Williams was among the longest-serving chief executives in the FTSE 100 until he retired as head of Halma plc in March after 18 years.
The WRU vowed to modernise its board following a series of controversies.
"This is a major coup for Welsh rugby and supports the reform we are on," said chair Richard Collier-Keywood.
Born in Cardiff, chartered engineer Williams was credited with overhauling the leadership and culture of Halma, a global group of life-saving technology companies, and is also a former board member at Cardiff.
"I'm delighted to be returning to rugby and look forward to helping to address some of the significant challenges and opportunities ahead," he said.
"Following the recently implemented board changes, I am pleased the WRU has made important statements about the need for the WRU to work positively with the professional clubs, which I see as a vital step to improved success at all levels.
"Alongside the cultural changes already underway, we cannot underestimate the ongoing financial challenges and that growth, both in the wider business and the game in Wales, is absolutely vital to ensure our recovery is sustainable."
Williams is another externally appointed director as part of the under-fire governing body's efforts to "modernise" following a damaging year.
Four of the eight members of the new-look board will be women, including Amanda Bennett, Jennifer Mathias, Alison Thorne and new chief executive Abi Tierney, who starts the role in January 2024 and will then officially replace interim CEO Nigel Walker on the board.
Ex-Wales centre Jamie Roberts has also been appointed as a non-executive member with Williams, the first independent appointed chair Collier-Keywood and Professional Rugby Board (PRB) chair Malcolm Wall completing the eight positions so far.
Fellow former British & Irish Lion Terry Cobner, 77, succeeds Gerald Davies as president but is not a member of the board.
Board revamp
The 12-strong board is due to be completed later this month following voting among member clubs for the final four director positions.
The new board will be in place for 2024 with the WRU's published gender diversity ambitions set to be realised.
The WRU were looking for at least five females to be appointed and that will be realised if one of the four elected members is a woman.
This new policy was implemented at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) following a BBC Wales investigates programme in January 2023 which raised questions of sexism and misogyny within the organisation.
An independent review has since found aspects of the WRU's culture were sexist, misogynistic, racist and homophobic and not properly challenged.
The WRU environment also had elements of bullying and discrimination, and was described as toxic by some employees.
The governance was found to have not been been fit for purpose while the board was described as dysfunctional, ill-equipped and unable to address the serious institutional and culture problems it faced.