Meet the ColegauCymru Team.
Together, the ColegauCymru Team are committed to promoting the public benefit of further education in Wales. We believe that all learners have the right to world-class education, delivered in a safe, diverse, and inclusive setting and within a sector which supports the wider community, employers and the economy.
Chief Executive
David.Hagendyk@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
David has worked in leadership, campaigning and policy development roles in Wales for the last eighteen years. He joined ColegauCymru in October 2022, having spent seven years at the Learning and Work Institute Cymru as the Director for Wales.
Before joining L&WI, he also worked for seven years as the General Secretary of Welsh Labour. Prior to this he was the Political Liaison Officer for the University and College Union Cymru, as the Welsh Labour Head of Policy, and has worked as a researcher for Huw Lewis AM and Lynne Neagle AM.
Director of Finance
carolyn.thomas@colegaucymru.ac.uk
Carolyn has worked in the further education sector since 1991, having previously been an accountant for a small college. She has worked as CollegesWales Finance Director since 2004 and is a fellow of the ACCA.
Director of Partnerships and Strategic Development
Kelly.Edwards@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
Kelly leads the CollegesWales Development Programme which aims to enrich the learning experience and enhance learning outcomes for the further education sector. She works with the Principals’ Forum and the Board of Directors to ensure the Programme is aligned to the vision and mission of the charity. Kelly is also a Board Member at Education Workforce Council.
Director of Policy and Public Affairs
Rachel.Cable@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
Rachel Cable leads the ColegauCymru Policy and Public Affairs Team, ensuring our work is in line with the organisation’s strategic objectives.
Prior to joining ColegauCymru, Rachel spent 15 years working in policy, campaigns and advocacy in Wales, including for Universities Wales, and coordinating campaigns for a Member of Parliament. Rachel also headed up Oxfam Cymru’s multi-disciplinary team across policy, advocacy, media, and education, including chairing the Disasters Emergency Committee Cymru.
Alongside these roles, Rachel is a school governor and has acted as a charity trustee for a students’ union.
Strategic Adviser – WBL and Employability
Jeff.Protheroe@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
Jeff is the key point of contact for Welsh Government and other relevant bodies in the sector. He supports the Organisation to formulate sector responses to policy proposals including changes to funding streams, qualification reform, and curriculum development and contribute to apprenticeship framework reviews. He undertakes research to shape and influence policy and develops close links with leaders in colleges to optimise collaboration and innovative solutions. Jeff also convenes working groups and lead on the development and submission of grant applications and other relevant bids for funding on behalf of the FE sector to enhance WBL and employability outcomes.
Senior Adviser - Policy and Partnerships
Rhys works closely with the Chief Executive and both the Policy and Public Affairs Team and Development Team to clearly articulate and strengthen the organisation’s mission across political and civic spheres.
A County Borough Councillor and former Cabinet Member at Bridgend County Borough Council, Rhys brings a wealth of experience from senior roles in communications and public affairs. He has led high-profile campaigns and initiatives in organisations across the UK, including as Head of Terrence Higgins Trust Cymru, where he collaborated with Welsh Government to work towards ending HIV transmission in Wales.
With a 15-year career spanning Westminster and Brussels, Rhys has built a reputation for working across political lines to influence policy and drive change. He returned to live and work in Wales in 2021, bringing his insight and commitment to public service back to his home nation.
Project Manager - European and International
Sian.Holleran@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
Siân joined CollegesWales as European and International Coordinator in November 2010. Her main areas of work include coordinating a programme of overseas training opportunities for staff, learners and apprentices, acting for the Welsh Government as the National Contact Point for EU initiatives and selling Wales to the world through working collaboratively with international partners.
Siân is fluent in French, Spanish and Welsh and previously worked for CILT Cymru, the national centre for languages, promoting the learning of modern languages as a valuable skill for young people in an increasingly globalised world. She continues to share her love of languages and the cultures of other countries by promoting the benefits to young people of spending periods of time studying or working overseas. Siân also represents the further education sector on the steering group of Routes into Languages Cymru.
Project Manager - Active Wellbeing and Sport
Robert.Baynham@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
With over 20 years’ experience in the further education sector, Rob has been involved in a wide variety of regional and national initiatives and projects with the current focus moving towards the development of Active Wellbeing and sporting opportunities in FE.
As Project manager for Active Wellbeing for FE in Wales, Rob’s responsibilities include managing Welsh Colleges Sport and developing participation, volunteering and sporting pathways for FE students. Since Rob joined CollegesWales in 2014, an additional 4,000+ FE learners per year have participated in new activity on various initiatives with new partnerships, events, systems and projects being introduced.
Raising the profile of FE sport and Active Wellbeing remain a priority for this work.
ALN Transformation Lead FE
Chris.Denham@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
Chris' career started working in the construction industry in Surrey before completing his Cert Ed at Huddersfield Polytechnic and then moving to Pontypool to take up a lecturing post at Pontypool College. Chris was instrumental in setting up the first special needs link courses with Crownbridge Special School in the late 1980s and after some retraining, he developed a new full-time special needs programme at Pontypool. As this provision grew, he recognised the need for support within mainstream and so took an additional qualification in specific learning difficulties and established a support centre at the college.
Following incorporation and the creation of Coleg Gwent, Chris occupied several management posts before taking on the role of ALN Manager for Coleg Gwent in 2014. During this time he also represented the college on the ColegauCymru ALN Network, performing the role of Chair from 2014.
Chris has worked closely with Welsh Government over the last four years to help shape the Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (ALNET) Act and Code of Practice. He took up his current post with CollegesWales in January 2018 and continues to support colleges across Wales as they prepare for the implementation of ALNET.
Office and Governance Manager
Rachel.Rimanti@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
Rachel manages the internal processes and procedures for ColegauCymru. She is also the primary contact for all things governance. Rachel joined ColegauCymru in February 2020 and is a fluent Welsh Speaker.
Communications Manager
Lucy.Hopkins@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
Lucy manages our communications and marketing activities, in line with the organisation’s strategic objectives. She ensures our communications are both influential, informative and appropriate to our stakeholders.
Finance Officer
Gill.Barclay@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
Gill works as CollegesWales' Finance Officer. Additional to this role, she leads on the IT support and facilities management of the organisation.
Policy Officer
Amy graduated from Swansea University in 2011 with a degree in Media and Communications. Following 5 years in the retail sector, she joined CollegesWales as a Receptionist. In May 2017, she took on the the role of Public Affairs Assistant and since March 2020 has been working as our Policy Officer. Amy is a fluent Welsh speaker.
Project Officer
Vicky.Thomas@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
Vicky joined CollegeWales in 2022. Working as a Project Officer in the Development Team, she leads and manages our international work, including the Erasmus+ Learner and Staff projects.
Policy Officer
clare.williams@colegaucymru.ac.uk
Clare has worked in Welsh Public Affairs for 15 years, spending 10 years at for Cancer Research UK, campaigning for cancer prevention and early diagnosis, as well as working for the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, and the Obesity Alliance Cymru, a coalition of over 20 organisations lobbying jointly on obesity policy in Wales.
Policy and Public Affairs Assistant
Tanwen.James@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
Tanwen joined ColegauCymru in January 2025 after graduating from King’s College London with a Master’s degree in International Political Economy.
As Policy and Public Affairs Assistant, Tanwen works alongside the Policy and Public Affairs Team to ensure that stakeholders and decision-makers hear the voices of our members.
Communications and Events Assistant
Arin joined ColegauCymru in March 2025 having worked for almost 3 years in Welsh politics, and a year in the commercial banking sector. He holds a master’s degree in International Relations from Cardiff University and is fluent in Turkish.
As a Communications and Events Assistant, Arin works with the Policy and Public Affairs Team to deliver communications that are impactful, informative, and tailored to our stakeholders.
Executive Assistant
Karen joined ColegauCymru in December 2023 as Executive Assistant responsible for internal business administration and supporting the Chief Executive and the Senior Management Team. She also supports various networks at ColegauCymru.
Prior to joining ColegauCymru Karen had enjoyed a long and varied professional career within the NHS, providing comprehensive support for senior management teams within different disciplines at Executive and PA level. Project management qualified, and an Associate of APM, Karen has considerable experience supporting deliverables on several significant strategies and schemes.
