Welsh ICE boss recognised at national awards ceremony

The CEO of a Caerphilly-based business start-up hub has been recognised at the Wales Director of the Year Awards 2025.

Lesley Williams, who has been CEO at Welsh ICE since 2023, won the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award at a ceremony held at the ICC Wales in Newport.

The event, organised by the Institute of Directors Wales, was attended by more than 300 leaders from across the public, private, and third sectors.

Following the ceremony, she described the award win as a “privilege” and said: “At ICE, we believe that entrepreneurship must be accessible to all – and that diversity of experience is essential for real innovation.

“This award belongs to our whole team and the wider ICE community, who work every day to create spaces where everyone feels they can thrive.”

Ms Williams was also recognised as a finalist in the Innovation category.

The awards are not the first time Ms Williams has been recognised for her work. Last year, she was a joint-winner of the Inclusive Director Award at ThinkEDI’s Diversity and Inclusion Awards Wales.

Since becoming CEO, Ms Williams has embedded inclusive practices into the organisation, including launching hybrid and recorded training programmes to overcome geographical, financial, and care-based barriers.

She has also provided mental health first aid training and neurodiversity awareness sessions for staff.