Welsh National Opera is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to its Board.
Martyn Ryan joins the WNO Board, taking on the role of Chairman of Audit and Risk. Born in Cardiff, he gained a degree in business economics and sociology from the University of Southampton, and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. Martyn was formerly a Partner and the Chief Operating Officer at Genesis Investment Management, and remains a Trustee of the Genesis Charitable Trust. Having trained with PwC in 1984, his other roles prior to Genesis included positions in finance and investment banking at Kitcat & Aitken, Morgan Grenfell and Schroders, and Chief Operating Officer at the Japanese trust bank Chuo Trust International Limited. Martyn is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
As well as his professional background, Martyn has a keen interest in sports – particularly rugby union – and is a director of the Cardiff Blues, Chairman of the Welsh Exiles and sits on the Rugby Committee of the Welsh Rugby Union. He is also a benefactor of Glamorgan CCC, a trustee of the rugby related charity TourAid, and Chair of the Tom Maynard Trust.
Also joining the Board is Toks Dada, a graduate of Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Toks is a creative producer and classical music programmer. He is currently the Programme Co-ordinator for Classical Music at Town Hall and Symphony Hall in Birmingham, and an Assessor for the PRS for Music Foundation.
In 2010 he founded Sinfonia Newydd – a commissioning and producing company for new work by established and emerging professional composers – and served as the CEO and Creative Director until 2015. Under his leadership, Sinfonia Newydd was established as an important part of Wales’ arts sector and provided commission, training, performance, and promotion opportunities for over 40 composers.
He is a previous board member of Sinfonia Cymru – Wales’ professional chamber orchestra for emerging professional musicians – and was an inaugural member of the orchestra’s creative hub of young musicians and arts entrepreneurs, Sinfonia Cymru Curate. In these positions, Toks contributed to the development of the orchestra’s artistic programme, digital engagement strategy, and a new strategic model for a 21st century chamber orchestra. As an advocate for classical music, Toks is often invited as a speaker and commentator particularly on the topics of diversity and the engagement of young people in classical music.
WNO Chairman Mark Molyneux says: “I’m delighted that Martyn Ryan and Toks Dada have joined us and are adding their wide range of experience and skills to our strong team.”
