WRU appoints Lyndon Faulkner as new Chair

WRU appoints Lyndon Faulkner as new Chair

The Welsh Rugby Union’s global search for a new Chair has culminated in the appointment of successful Welsh businessman, Lyndon Faulkner. The WRU searched near and far, scouring its international diaspora as well as looking close to home, in search of someone with the right credentials to lead the WRU Board at a pivotal time for the game in Wales.

Now, in a major coup, it has found a Chair in Faulkner to court the respect of both its community and professional game and the wider business world around it. Immensely proud of his Welsh roots, he says he has used his athletic determination and team leadership, forged as a young player in the amateur era on rugby pitches throughout Wales, to drive success in the business world during his distinguished career.

“I know personally how important Welsh rugby is in many different ways to the nation,” said Faulkner, who will be in place at the helm of the WRU by the time of its next annual general meeting on Sunday 22 November.

“So, it is a huge privilege for me to return to Welsh rugby as Chair of the WRU and give something back to a sport which has helped define me and means so much to me, my family, friends and the people of Wales. Empowered by the high standards and scrutiny of the interview process that recruited me and I look forward to meeting member clubs at our AGM in November and listening and learning from all of the major stakeholders across both the community and professional game in the coming weeks. This is a pivotal time for the game and I will start by listening to those around me and of course remaining open to credible challenge.”

Faulkner’s mandate as the new independent Chair of the Welsh Rugby Union, is to continue to lead the Board in setting the strategic direction for the game in Wales and to hold its executive team and staff to account for its implementation.

He will dedicate significant time to the role on a weekly basis in a professional capacity and will also representing the WRU in an ambassadorial capacity at the highest level around the global game.

WRU vice-chair John Manders said:

“We are delighted to welcome Lyndon to lead the WRU Board. To be able to attract someone with such obvious high calibre business credentials, who is also steeped in Welsh rugby heritage, is a major coup for us and testament to the strength of the very proactive recruitment process we have been engaged in.”

Fellow Board member and WRU senior independent director Alison Thorne said:

“Lyndon’s leadership experience, entrepreneurship and achievements in business are hugely impressive and this is a welcome appointment for Welsh rugby. He brings a fresh perspective and added value to both our rugby and business thinking and I know that he will be a huge asset to the game.”

Faulkner was born near Newport and educated at Bassaleg Comprehensive School. He played rugby at the school, before joining Newport Youth and playing representative rugby winning the Welsh Youth Cup. At club level he played for Newport RFC before joining Pontypool RFC during what was the team’s glory era. In his time at the club, Pontypool won the Welsh Cup final were Welsh league winners three years in a row. As well as earning numerous county caps he also played in Anglo Welsh matches and against the touring Australian national team.

After a serious knee injury cut his athletic career, he transitioned successfully into a corporate career. Throughout his time in business, Faulkner has been recognised in key senior executive roles and driven billions in revenue to industry-shaping, Fortune 100 companies that include Technicolor®/Nimbus CD International and Microsoft ® Corporation.

He played an integral role in the launches of revolutionary technologies like the Compact Disc (CD) and Digital Video Disc (DVD) in the music, computer and movie industries.

Faulkner led an IPO of then Welsh Company Nimbus CD International on the US-NASDAQ stock market that fuelled numerous corporate acquisitions resulting in the building of a high tech, world-class operation spanning the globe.

In the process Faulkner built one of the world’s largest and most profitable companies in the digital media and home entertainment arena at Technicolor. He continued to become a driving force behind the launches of such illustrious products such as Microsoft’s XBOX®, Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2000.

Faulkner joined Pelican Products Inc in 2006, during his time there the company grew significantly through acquisitions and international expansion, and now operates in 26 countries, with seven manufacturing facilities around the globe. In 2017, Peli Biothermal was awarded the Queen’s Award for Innovation in a ceremony at their United Kingdom location and again, in 2018, Pelican was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise & International Trade for its work in the UK.

He retired from Pelican in 2021 when it was sold to the private equity giant Platinum Capital. Faulkner has been honoured with numerous international business awards, winning the E & Y entrepreneur award twice with two different businesses and has been profiled in high profile business publications including Forbes, Fortune and the New York Times.

He also featured in the US TV series ‘The Mentor’ and has lectured at the Stanford University Business School and at the University of Virginia’s Darden Business School.

WRU Chief Exececutive Officer Abi Tierney added:

“I am very much looking forward to Lyndon’s arrival at the WRU. Establishing a working relationship with the right level of challenge and support between CEO and Chair in any organisation is a vital part of ensuring positive progress and maintaining a healthy and progressive culture. I know Lyndon and I are ready to form a formidable team working to advance Welsh rugby at all levels.”

Wedi cyfnod o chwilio trylwyr, mae Undeb Rygbi Cymru wedi penodi’r gŵr busnes llwyddiannus o Gymru, Lyndon Faulkner yn Gadeirydd newydd.

Bu’r Undeb yn chwilio ledled y byd am ymgeisydd â’r cymwysterau a’r profiad priodol i arwain Bwrdd yr Undeb ar adeg hynod dyngedfennol i’r gamp yng Nghymru.

Bellach, mae’r Undeb wedi llwyddo i ddenu Faulkner, unigolyn sy’n meddu ar y profiad a’r statws i ennyn parch y gêm ar lefel gymunedol a phroffesiynol, yn ogystal â’r byd busnes ehangach.

Mae Lyndon Faulkner yn hynod falch o’i wreiddiau Cymreig. Mae wedi datgan droeon i’r sgiliau ddysgodd wrth chwarae rygbi – sef bod yn benderfynol. cystadleuol a meithrin sgiliau arweinyddol – wedi bod yn allweddol wrth iddo sicrhau llwyddiant ym myd busnes drwy gydol ei yrfa nodedig.

Dywedodd Faulkner, fydd wedi dechrau yn ei swydd fel Cadeirydd Undeb Rygbi Cymru erbyn Cyfarfod Cyffredinol Blynyddol yr Undeb, fydd yn cael ei gynnal ddydd Sul 22 Tachwedd:

“Rwy’n gwybod o brofiad personol pa mor bwysig yw rygbi Cymru i’r genedl mewn cymaint o wahanol ffyrdd.

“Felly, mae’n fraint aruthrol i mi gael fy mhenodi’n Gadeirydd ar yr Undeb ac fy mwriad yw rhoi rhywbeth yn ôl i gamp sydd wedi chwarae rhan mor bwysig yn fy natblygiad fel unigolyn, ac sy’n golygu cymaint i mi, fy nheulu, fy ffrindiau a phobl Cymru.

“Mae’r ffaith bod y broses gyfweld wedi bod mor drylwyr ac agored wedi rhoi hyder mawr i mi. Rwy’n edrych ymlaen at gyfarfod â’r clybiau ac aelodau eraill yr Undeb yn ein Cyfarfod Cyffredinol Blynyddol ym mis Tachwedd. Byddaf yn gwrando arnyn nhw a phrif randdeiliaid eraill rygbi Cymru sy’n gwasanaethu’r gêm gymunedol a phroffesiynol ac rwy’n edrych ymlaen at ddysgu ganddyn nhw dros yr wythnosau nesaf.

“Mae hon yn adeg dyngedfennol i’r gamp. Byddaf yn gwrando ar bobl a byddaf yn bendant yn parhau i fod yn agored i heriau adeiladol, dilys ac ymarferol.”

Prif gyfrifoldeb Faulkner fel Cadeirydd annibynnol newydd Undeb Rygbi Cymru fydd parhau i arwain y Bwrdd wrth bennu cyfeiriad strategol y gêm yng Nghymru, a sicrhau bod tîm gweithredol yr Undeb a’r staff yn gyfrifol ac atebol am roi’r strategaeth honno ar waith.

Bydd yn neilltuo cryn dipyn o’i amser bob wythnos i gyflawni ei ddyletswyddau proffesiynol fel Cadeirydd, a bydd hefyd yn cynrychioli Undeb Rygbi Cymru fel llysgennad o’r radd flaenaf yn y byd rygbi rhyngwladol.

Dywedodd Is-gadeirydd Undeb Rygbi Cymru, John Manders:

“Ry’n ni wrth ein bodd gallu cadarnhau penodiad Lyndon a’i groesawu atom i arwain Bwrdd Undeb Rygbi Cymru.

“Mae llwyddo i ddenu unigolyn o safon mor uchel, sydd â phrofiad busnes mor amlwg ac sydd hefyd â chysylltiadau mor gryf â threftadaeth rygbi Cymru, yn gamp arbennig. Mae hefyd yn cadarnhau pa mor drylwyr ac effeithiol oedd ein proses benodi.”

Dywedodd Alison Thorne, aelod arall o’r Bwrdd ac Uwch Gyfarwyddwr Annibynnol Undeb Rygbi Cymru:

“Mae profiad Lyndon o arwain, ei ysbryd o fentergarwch a’r hyn y mae wedi llwyddo ei gyflawni yn y byd busnes yn hynod drawiadol, ac mae hwn yn benodiad i’w groesawu gan rygbi Cymru.

“Bydd Lyndon yn cynnig safbwyntiau newydd o bosib a bydd yn ychwanegu gwerth sylweddol at ein ffordd o feddwl am rygbi ac am fusnes hefyd. Rwy’n gwybod y bydd yn gaffaeliad mawr i’r Undeb ac i’r gamp.”

Ganwyd Faulkner ger Casnewydd ac fe dderbyniodd ei addysg uwchradd yn Ysgol Gyfun Basaleg. Chwaraeodd rygbi i’r ysgol cyn ymuno â thîm ieuenctid Casnewydd. Yn ystod y cyfnod hwnnw fe enillodd y tîm Gwpan Ieuenctid Cymru.

Chwaraeodd dros dîm cyntaf Casnewydd cyn ymuno â Phont-y-pŵl yn ystod un o gyfnodau mwyaf llwyddiannus y clwb.

Yn ystod ei gyfnod yno, enillodd y tîm Gwpan Cymru a’r Cynghrair am dair blynedd yn olynol. Yn ogystal â chynrychioli ei sir ar sawl achlysur, chwaraeodd hefyd yn y Cynghrair Eingl-Gymreig ac hefyd yn erbyn tîm teithiol cenedlaethol Awstralia.

Bu’n rhaid iddo ymddeol o’r gamp yn gynnar o ganlyniad i anaf i’w ben – ond llwyddodd i drosglwyddo ei ddoniau a’i sgiliau o’r maes chwarae i’r byd busnes.

Trwy gydol ei yrfa fusnes, mae Faulkner wedi derbyn clod a chydnabyddiaeth am ei waith mewn swyddi arweinyddol, gan gyfrannu at gynhyrchu biliynau o bunnoedd mewn refeniw i gwmnïau ar restr y ‘Fortune 100’, gan gynnwys Technicolor®/Nimbus CD International a Microsoft®.

Chwaraeodd ran allweddol wrth gyflwyno technolegau chwyldroadol newydd megis y Cryno Ddisg (CD) a’r Ddisg Fideo Ddigidol (DVD) i’r diwydiannau cerddoriaeth, cyfrifiaduron a ffilmiau.

Arweiniodd Faulkner y broses o lansio cyfranddaliadau cwmni Cymreig Nimbus CD International ar farchnad stoc NASDAQ yn yr Unol Daleithiau. Fe gododd hynny’r cyfalaf angenrheidiol ar gyfer nifer o fuddsoddiadau corfforaethol eraill, arweiniodd at ddatblygiadau technolegol o safon byd-eang ar draws y byd.

Yn ystod y broses honno adeiladodd Faulkner, gwmni Technicolor i fod yn un o’r rhai mwyaf proffidiol yn y byd ym maes cyfryngau digidol ac adloniant cartref.

Wedi hynny fe chwaraeodd ran allweddol wrth lansio cynnyrch adnabyddus pellach megis XBOX®, Windows XP a Microsoft Office 2000.

Ymunodd Faulkner â Pelican Products Inc yn 2006. Yn ystod ei gyfnod gyda’r cwmni, tyfodd ac ehangodd y busnes yn sylweddol. Bellach mae’r cwmni’n gweithredu mewn 26 o wledydd, gyda saith o gyfleusterau gweithgynhyrchu ledled y byd.

Ym mis Gorffennaf 2017, derbyniodd Peli Biothermal wobr y Frenhines am ddyfeisgarwch a Faulkner gynrychiolodd gwmni Pelican yn y derbyniad hwnnw ym Mhalas Buckingham. Y flwyddyn ganlynol derbyniodd Pelican wobr arall am Fentergarwch a Masnach Ryngwladol gan y Frenhines.

Pan werthwyd Pelican i’r cawr ecwiti preifat Platinum Capital yn 2021, penderfynodd Lyndon Faulkner adael y cwmni.

Mae Faulkner wedi derbyn nifer o wobrau busnes rhyngwladol, gan ennill Gwobr nodedig E&Y (Ernst & Young) am Entrepreneur y Flwyddyn ddwywaith, gan wneud hynny gyda dau fusnes gwahanol. Mae hefyd wedi ymddangos mewn cyhoeddiadau busnes blaenllaw, gan gynnwys Forbes, Fortune a’r New York Times.

Fe wnaeth ymddangosiad hefyd yn y gyfres deledu Americanaidd ‘The Mentor’, ac mae wedi darlithio yn Ysgol Fusnes Prifysgol Stanford ac Ysgol Fusnes Darden ym Mhrifysgol Virginia.

Ychwanegodd Prif Weithredwr Undeb Rygbi Cymru, Abi Tierney: “Rwy’n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at groesawu Lyndon aton ni i Undeb Rygbi Cymru.

“Mae sefydlu perthynas waith rhwng Prif Weithredwr a Chadeirydd, sy’n sicrhau’r cydbwysedd cywir o safbwynt herio a chefnogi, yn hanfodol mewn unrhyw sefydliad er mwyn sicrhau cynnydd cadarnhaol a chynnal diwylliant iach a blaengar.

“Rwy’n gwybod bod Lyndon a minnau’n barod i ffurfio tîm cryf ac effeithiol fydd yn datblygu rygbi Cymru ar bob lefel.”