Cardiff Speakers
Kate Bennett - Wales Director, Equality & Human Rights Commission
Kate became Director of the Equal Opportunities Commission in Wales shortly after the establishment of the Assembly in 1999. Prior to this she worked as a full time trade union official with MSF, as a community campaign worker and as a research journalist. She studied Industrial Relations with Politics and Government at the University of Kent.
Kate is committed to working with others to eliminate discrimination and promote equality for all women and men in Wales, whatever their background or lifestyle. Kate believes we will be able to transform Wales, economically and socially, if equality is central to policy making and public service delivery.
Gareth Jones AM - Chair – Enterprise & Learning Committee, Welsh Assembly Government
Gareth Jones was born in Blaenau Ffestiniog in 1939 and currently lives in Conwy. A former secondary school headmaster, Gareth graduated with a BA from the University of Wales, Swansea and is leader of the Plaid Cymru Group at Conwy County Borough Council.
Gareth has held several posts within Plaid Cymru. A member of the party's National Executive Committee, Gareth was Assembly Member for Conwy between 1999 and 2003 and was Shadow Minister for Education.
View video of Gareth Jones at Cardiff
Andy Klom, Head of the European Commission Office in Wales
Andy Klom was appointed as the Head of the European Commission Office in Wales in 2005. He is a civil servant of the European Commission, which has 35 representational offices throughout the 27 Member States of the European Union. Since joining the European Commission in 1993, Andy Klom spent most of his career working in the European Commission's External Relations department, which is in charge of the EU’s relations with countries outside of the EU. He was responsible for a variety of negotiations and diplomatic relations with Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Mercosur), but has also worked on EU energy policy. Before he joined the European Commission Mr Klom worked for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and for an international bank based in the Netherlands.
Andy Klom was born to Dutch parents in Queensland, Australia, but has lived and worked for most of his life in Europe or the Americas. He currently speaks six languages and is now working on his seventh (Cymraeg).
