Mandy James

Dr. Mandy James was appointed to the Board of Directors for WJEC CBAC Limited as an Independent Non-Executive Director/Trustee in October 2018. Mandy has been a member of the Audit Committee since April 2020.

Mandy has over 25 years experience in a number of leadership and management roles in education and business in Wales including leading City & Guilds as National Manager Wales and then as Senior Manager Strategy Planning and Strategic Relationships responsible for leading the business and team management in Wales, commercial growth, strategy and business planning in Wales and England, stakeholder relationships and partnerships, marketing strategy, Welsh Language provision, and influencing education policy in Wales. Mandy has extensive experience in higher education and vocational education and training in Wales and has been a member of numerous Welsh Government Steering Groups for vocational education policy, leader of the City & Guilds National Advisory Committee, and Deputy Chair of the Federation of Awarding Bodies in Wales.

Mandy also has been a Research Fellow for the University of South Wales evaluating Wales’ first cultural strategy for the Welsh Government and succeeded in gaining a Ph.D. in 2015 specializing in the use of evidence and evaluation for cultural policymaking in Wales following 10 years of research. Mandy has also worked as a Research Consultant for the Creative & Cultural Skills Sector Skills Council and as an Education Consultant for NCfE.

Having started her career as a Primary Teacher, Mandy has also been contracted as Development Manager (Welsh Language Provision) for the Centre for Medical Education in the Cardiff University School of Medicine, and as a Researcher developing and writing a new teaching and learning module on ‘Heritage Tourism and the Welsh Language’ for the School of Welsh in Cardiff University.

Mandy won the Llwyd o’r Bryn Prize in the National Eisteddfod in Llanelli in 2000 and subsequently was invited to join the Gorsedd of the Bards, and still enjoys adjudicating across Wales.