The Management team

Dafydd Evans is the Chief Executive Officer of the Grŵp. He is supported in this role by the Executive Management Team.

• Dafydd Evans

  Chief Executive Officer

  Dafydd Evans took over as Chief Executive Officer of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai in September 2016, having previously been Principal of Coleg Llandrillo (August 2014 - August 2016) and Principal of Coleg Menai (July 2009 - August 2014). He is a qualified CIPFA Accountant, having graduated in Statistics at University of Wales Aberystwyth. As an Associate Assessor for ESTYN, he has undertaken inspections on several colleges and has also in the past been seconded to work for the Welsh Assembly Government to undertake developmental work on resources allocation and reconfiguration of the post-16 sector in Gwynedd and Anglesey.

• Aled Jones-Griffith

  Principal of Coleg Menai and Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor

  Aled Jones-Griffith has worked in the further education sector for 11 years: he was a faculty director at Coleg Menai and an assistant principal at Coleg Mieiron-Dwyfor before being appointed as Principal for Coleg Menai & Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor in 2018. Previous to his career in further education, Aled held a number of managerial posts in a variety of sectors, including chief executive of the Nant Gwrtheyrn National Language Centre for four years. After his schooling, Aled graduated from Bangor University with an honours degree in Environmental Studies, and has since been awarded Post Graduate Certificates in Countryside Management and Community Development. He is a keen environmentalist and is a member of the Gwynedd local action group for LEADER, which is an EU and Welsh Government-funded project that will support activities in Gwynedd between 2015 and 2020.

• Lawrence Wood

  Principal of Coleg Llandrillo

  Lawrence Wood is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and after starting work in Further Education at Yale College in Wrexham as a part-time Lecturer, he soon moved into a management position as a head of the Performing Arts Department. Lawrence has held a number of management roles at Yale College including Director of Faculty and Assistant Principal. As Assistant Principal, Lawrence was part of the senior team that supported the merger of Yale College and Deeside College that formed Coleg Cambria. In June 2016 Lawrence was promoted to the role of Deputy Principal at Coleg Cambria. Lawrence has held responsibility for Work-Based Learning, Adult Community Education and Further Education, as well as many cross-college functions including Quality, Teaching and Learning Development, Estates and Marketing. Lawrence has also worked as a Peer Inspector for Estyn. Lawrence was appointed to the role of Principal of Coleg Llandrillo in November 2016.

• Dr Ian Rees

  Executive Director of Regeneration and External Affairs

  Dr Rees developed a career in education and was Principal at Ysgol y Moelwyn from 1992 to 1997 when he moved to Further Education as Principal and Chief Executive of Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor. During 2010 he led the merger of Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor and Coleg Llandrillo Cymru; he also took one of the lead roles when Coleg Menai joined the Grŵp in April 2012. Over the years he has been a member of regional and national groups including Nant Gwrtheyrn and the ELWa Mid Wales Regional committee, as well the Boards for Fforwm and Careers Wales (North West Wales). He was a member of the Arts Council of Wales for 6 years and between 2012 and 2015 was Chairman of the Advisory Panel for the Welsh Language Commissioner - he is now a member of the Commissioner's Finance and Risk Committee. Dr Ian Rees took over as Principal of Coleg Menai in August 2014. In January 2016, he was seconded to concentrate on the developments on Energy Island, while retaining his responsibility for the Grŵp's External Affairs.

• Kath Coughlin

  Executive Director of Corporate Services

  Kath Coughlin was born and brought up in England and following University went on to become a qualified Accountant. Kath went to work in the Education Finance field at Cheshire County Council, University of Liverpool, North East Wales Institute (now Glyndŵr University) before joining the FE Sector at Coleg Llandrillo. Over more recent years, having been instrumental in the two College mergers with Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor and more recently Coleg Menai, Kath now heads the very successful Corporate Services Team as Grŵp Executive Director for Corporate Services for Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.

• James Nelson

  Executive Director of Academic Services

  James Nelson is an ex-student from Coleg Llandrillo, where he studied a National Diploma in Business Studies, after which he progressed to Manchester Polytechnic and graduated with a degree in Business & Finance.

  Following graduation, James was successfully appointed as a Lecturer in IT, where he achieved MCSE, CCNA accreditation and developed innovative Microsoft and Cisco Academy programmes in Higher Education.

  James then became the Quality Manager at Coleg Llandrillo, followed by promotion to the Director of Quality and Curriculum, where he led on the implementation of Grŵp quality, planning and staff development processes in the merger with Coleg Meirion Dwyfor.

  James is a QAA Higher Education Review (HER) Peer Reviewer and led Grŵp Llandrillo Menai through its HER review in 2016, which resulted in a commended judgement for enhancement and 6 examples of good practice.

  In 2017, James was appointed Executive Director Academic Services with Grŵp responsibility for Skills, Quality & Performance, Curriculum Planning, Learning Support, Marketing, Learner Services and Libraries.

  In 2017, James led the institution as Nominee through the successful FE Inspection, which resulted in 8 Excellent judgements 7 Good judgements, and two case studies of "sector leading practice." James is an Estyn Peer Inspector and has undertaken a number of Inspections of FE Colleges and Work Based Learning Training providers.

Grŵp Llandrillo Menai Management Team Top, left to right: Dafydd Evans, Aled Jones-Griffith
Middle, left to right: Lawrence Wood, Dr Ian Rees
Bottom, left to right: Kath Coughlin, James Nelson