New Chair and member appointed to Board of Careers Wales

Erica Cassin has been appointed as the new Chair of the Board of Careers Wales, Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething has announced today.

The Minister has also appointed James Harvey as a member of the Board.

Both appointments run from 1 February 2022, for a three year period.

Careers Wales, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Welsh Government, provides an all- age, impartial, bilingual, careers information, advice and guidance service.

Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething said:

“The role of the CCDG Board is of great importance, it has a key role in delivering the Careers Wales’ remit and ensuring the service achieves maximum impact. Careers Wales have a critical role in delivering access to advice, guidance and support to individuals into good quality employment.

“I am delighted to welcome our new appointees to the Careers Wales Board. I look forward to working with them.”

The role of CCDG Chair is remunerated at £337 per day, based on a maximum of 40 days per year. A CCDG Board Member is an unpaid voluntary position with an annual commitment of a minimum 10 days.

All appointment have been made in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. In accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for the political activity of appointees (if any declared) to be published. Both appointees have declared no political activity.

Contact Information

Chris Pascoe

0300 0258 556

Chris.pascoe@gov.wales

Notes to editors

Biographies

Erica Cassin

Erica is a Board level professional, having operated at both Executive and Non-Executive levels. She has over 20 years’ experience in HR, including roles as HR Director for large private sector employers in UK healthcare, pharmaceutical and financial services sectors.

Erica is skilled in leading organisational change and transformation, culture change, talent and leadership development. She is passionate about enabling people to reach their full potential, and has led and worked with large, diverse teams, fostering a culture of high engagement, inclusion, empowerment and collaboration.

Erica has been a member of the Careers Wales Board since September 2020.

She is also Non-Executive Director at the Port of Milford Haven (remunerated at £282 per day), as well as the Life Sciences Hub Wales. In both organisations, she chairs the HR and Remuneration Committees. She is also on the Board of Coleg Sir Gar, and is a Trustee for the national charity Self Management UK. Erica has also been a mentor for the Social Mobility Foundation.

Erica has a BA in Industrial Economics, is a Fellow of the CIPD, and holds a Post-Graduate Certificate in Personal and Business Coaching.

James Harvey

James is Academy Director of DevOpsGroup and formerly CEO of Agile Snap, has been leading the Agile movement in Wales for over a decade. Organiser of the South Wales Agile Group community and a certified Agile trainer, James combines passionate knowledge of software development and delivery with industry-leading insights into practical applications of Agile and DevOps principles.