Government announces confirmed Chair and Board appointments to the S4C Board
Source: gov.uk (2025-05-11)

Delyth Evans is confirmed as the new Chair of S4C. Denise Lewis Poulton is reappointed and five new appointments have been made to the Board.

Delyth Evans

Delyth Evans’ term as Chair commenced on 1 May 2025 and will last for 4 years. Delyth Evans appeared before the Welsh Affairs Committee on Wednesday 23rd April for pre- appointment scrutiny. The Committee published their report (https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmwelaf/760/report.html) on Friday 25 April, endorsing the appointment. The Government’s response (https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/47698/documents/249169/default/) to the Committee’s report was published on 30 April 2025.

This process for appointing the Chair of S4C is set out in the Broadcasting Act 1990.

Ministers were assisted in their decision-making by an Advisory Assessment Panel which included a departmental official and a senior independent panel member approved by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Welsh Government and UK Government Wales office were also represented on the Panel.

Delyth has declared she worked as a speechwriter for John Smith MP, Leader of the Labour Party between 1992-94. She worked as a special adviser to Alun Michael, First Minister of the Welsh Assembly between 1999-2000. She became a Member of the Welsh Assembly, representing the Mid and West Wales constituency for the Labour Party, between 2000-2003. She stood as a Labour Parliamentary Candidate for the Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Constituency at the 2015 General Election. She has not undertaken any political activity since 2015.

Denise Lewis Poulton is reappointed to the Board

Denise is an experienced non-executive director, trustee and senior advisor to private, public and third sector bodies. She specialises in strategic communications, brand and corporate affairs. She spent her corporate career primarily as a senior director at international telecommunications companies such as Bell Canada plc, Cable & Wireless Communications plc and Orange plc. She went on to set up a consultancy business advising a number of cultural, media and public sector organisations including the Welsh Government, The Senedd S4C and the Millennium Centre in Cardiff.

Denise is a Trustee of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Heritage Memorial Fund and Chair of the Wales Committee. She has also chaired the NLHF’s Grant-in-Aid programme on behalf of Welsh Government. She has served as a Trustee and Non-Executive Director with several charitable and national cultural organisations including The Welsh National Opera, the Hay Literary Festival and The Wallace Collection in London. She is an Honorary Lifetime Fellow of BAFTA.

Five new Board Members have been appointed to the Board of S4C

William Dyfrig Davies

William Dyfrig Davies is an experienced leader in the Welsh media industry with 30 years of experience in radio, television, and digital content creation. Starting as a researcher, he was trained as Director, Producer, Executive Producer, and ultimately Managing Director of Telesgop Independent Media Company before retiring earlier this year. Davies played a key role in TAC (Independent TV Production Association) for many years, serving as Chair for over three years. His extensive expertise in the Welsh production sector equips him to tackle the challenges faced by industry professionals. He is experienced in dealing with broadcasters, politicians and industry leaders. He chaired the Urdd, the youth movement of Wales, where he honed skills in guiding organizations through strategic changes during the covid pandemic. He remains a trustee and believes strongly in promoting opportunities for the youth of Wales.

A strong advocate for S4C’s independence, William Dyfrig Davies believes in its vital role in promoting Welsh language, culture, and the economy. His interests lie in Welsh culture and sports. Recently, he returned to his roots to support family businesses in west Wales.

William Dyfrig Davies declared he has canvassed in the past on behalf of Plaid Cymru for county council/local authority, Senedd and Parliament elections, but not for at least 10 years.

Dr Gwenllian Lansdown-Davies

Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies is originally from Bangor but now lives with her husband and four children in Llanerfyl, Powys. After being elected to represent Riverside on Cardiff County Council in 2004, she worked as Office Manager for Leanne Wood MS in the Rhondda before being appointed Plaid Cymru’s Chief Executive in 2007. After working for the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol at Aberystwyth University, she became Chief Executive of Mudiad Meithrin (a voluntary organisation and main provider and enabler of Welsh- medium early years childcare and education in the voluntary sector with over 1000 settings all over the country) in 2014.

Gwenllian is on the Board of the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research and the National Lottery Fund in Wales and volunteers at her local Cylch Meithrin on the committee as the RI.

Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies declared she obtained office as a Plaid Cymru Councillor (2004-2011), Stood as a candidate for Plaid Cymru where she stood for the last time in 2008 as Councillor and MEP and has spoken on behalf of the Plaid Cymru CEO until 2011. She has acted as a political agent for the Plaid Cymru CEO until 2011 and was a branch official. She has also canvassed on behalf of the party until 2011.

Catryn Ramasut

Catryn Ramasut is a strategic leader and entrepreneurial media practitioner with over 25 years of experience in the creative industries and arts organisations. A Cardiff-born, Welsh-speaking woman of mixed heritage, she brings a unique perspective to Wales’s cultural landscape. Catryn co-founded and served as Managing Director of award-winning ie ie productions, producing acclaimed films like “American Interior” and “Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm,” alongside critically recognised television content. Recently, she co-produced “Brides,” which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

She represents Wales on the DCMS Creative Industries Council, was the inaugural Chair of Creative Wales, Welsh Government and a board member of Chapter Arts Centre. Catryn has recently been appointed Director of Arts at Arts Council of Wales, where she provides strategic leadership across the sector. Committed to revitalising Wales’s creative industries, Catryn combines cultural sensitivity with strategic innovation to develop a forward-thinking vision that embraces diversity, nurtures talent, and showcases Welsh creativity on the international stage.

Catryn has declared she has applied independently but has no other political activity.

Wyn Innes

Wyn is a Chartered Accountant, who trained with Grant Thornton and Price Waterhouse with over 30 years experience working in both the Public and Private Sectors. He is currently Chief Financial Officer and Board Director of Ogi, Wales’s largest independent full fibre broadband business.

Previously Wyn worked in both London and Cardiff in executive, financial and commercial roles. He was Managing Director of S4C’s commercial companies for 7 years. This included being CEO of SDN, a Digital Television Multiplex Company which he oversaw the sale of to ITV. Wyn was born in Cardiff and attended Bryntaf Cardiff’s only Welsh language Primary school at the time, and Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari. He is passionate about extending the role of the Welsh language and sees S4C as having a pivotal role in this endeavour. Married with three grown up children, in his spare time he enjoys playing cricket, golf and running whenever he can.

Wyn Innes declared he has undertaken no political activity.

Betsan Powys

Betsan Powys was, for nearly three decades, a BBC journalist, a news and current affairs reporter and for some years, a member of the ITV Wales Current Affairs team. She won BT and BAFTA Wales journalism awards and became part of the prestigious BBC Panorama reporting team, before returning to Cardiff to cover the impact of devolution as BBC Wales Political Editor. She was responsible for leading BBC Wales’ election and referendum broadcasting for many years, appearing regularly on both network television and radio. Betsan became Editor of Welsh language radio and online services and subsequently, a BBC Wales board member. For some years now she’s been working as a freelance and is proud to have been honoured with fellowships of Aberystwyth University and the Radio Academy.

Betsan Powys has declared she has undertaken no political activity.

Notes to Editors
- S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru, meaning “Channel 4 Wales”) is a British Welsh-language free-to-air television channel.
- The Chair of S4C is remunerated at £40,000 per annum and the time commitment will be equivalent to an average of two days a week.
- The Board members of S4C are remunerated at £9,650 per annum and the time commitment is on average of one day a week.The Broadcasting Act sets out how the Chair will be appointed.
- These appointments have been made in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/governance-code-for-public-appointments). The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments (https://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/).
- DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations) including Arts Council England, Theatres Trust, the National Gallery, UK Sport and the Gambling Commission. We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. To find out more about Public Appointments or to apply visit the HM Government Public Appointments Website (https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles).