Appendix F: Curriculum vitae – Wanda Goldwag
Name: Wanda Goldwag
Experienced Non-Executive Director, with over 30 years of senior management and commercial experience and a current portfolio of non-executive, founder director and advisory roles. I provide strategic direction, merger and acquisition advice, risk and audit management, and hire the senior team. I am known as an inspirational leader, a creative problem solver and an astute negotiator. I am in demand as a Chair of difficult meetings where there are many conflicts of interest and competing priorities. I am therefore persuasive, and skilled at creating an environment of calm where logical discussion can take place.
Current Portfolio
Smedvig Venture Capital and their Investments (May 2000 to present)
Advisor to this private equity firm, which specialises in high-risk, early stage investments in the £2-£10 million range. Entrepreneurs submit their business plans and ideas, I and my colleagues make complex investment decisions, based on sound risk analysis of the plan, a review of the team bringing the idea to us and rapid research into the market place. Successful businesses backed have included Streetcar, Ocean Outdoor advertising and fleet leasing company Tusker
The Senet Group (Feb 2015 to present)
Chair and Independent Standards Commissioner of the self-regulatory body for the gambling industry. The Senet Group is an independent body set up to promote responsible gambling standards and ensure that the marketing of gambling is socially responsible. The organisation has launched a high impact multi-million pound TV and advertising campaign for 2015 to educate people about the risks of gambling and how to stay in control. My responsibilities include chairing the board, setting the budget, shareholder management and monitoring and enforcing compliance with the commitments made by member companies on advertising and other measures aimed at protecting the vulnerable. I also adjudicate complaints from the public that the members have breached responsible gambling codes
Civil Service Commissioner (April 2017 to present)
One of 10 people who have been appointed by HM the Queen to chair the recruitment process for the top 300 Civil Servants in the United Kingdom, I chair panels of very senior civil servants, business people and Non-Executive Directors appointing to some of the highest profile and complex jobs in government. As well as providing absolute assurance that the process of recruitment has been fair and open I am responsible for refereeing what can be complex and competing views of very senior stakeholders.
Lay Member of the QC Appointments Panel (Jan 2016 to present)
I have been appointed by the Bar Council and the Law Society as a lay member of the Selection Panel which recommends advocates for appointment as Queen’s Counsel (QC). The QC rank identifies excellence in advocacy in the higher courts. It is the most significant award available to an advocate, whether solicitor or barrister.
True North Human Capital Ltd (January 2008 to present)
I co-founded and am Non-Executive Chair of this Human Resources Company that manages both the recruitment of senior management for blue chip and fast growth companies and provides human capital consultancy. I took the business from start up to a turnover of £2.5 million in one of the worst recruitment climates possible, by identifying niche opportunities and by fostering a culture of absolute customer focus
Past Employment and Non-Executive Roles
PRS for Music Ltd. (Sept 2001 to May 2015)
Chair and previously Non-Executive Director of one of the UK’s leading music organisation’s operating and processing company, which has a turnover of £665.75 million and 900 staff. I sat on the Executive Board, which drove the strategic direction of the company in conjunction with the Executive team. The board was responsible for setting the budget, hiring of the senior executives and every aspect of the operational management of the company. I was also Chair of the Distribution Committee, which is the forum that makes decisions about the way in which royalties are split between the publishers and writers who are the shareholders in the company, all of whom are represented on the committee. This has given me excellent experience of understanding international agreements and an ability to referee between shareholders in almost impossible circumstances. I have also been Chair of the Audit Committee.
International Copyright Enterprise Services AB (January 2010 to November 2015)
I was Non-Executive Chair of ICE which is a back-office music royalty processing business headquartered in Sweden, with offices in Berlin and London. The company is a joint venture between PRS for Music (where I was a board director for 12 years) and its Swedish and German equivalents. The ICF database contains approximately 19 million musical works. ICF processes 2.8 million new work registrations from publishers and writer members each year and updated 4.6 million musical works last year to make them ready for licensing and distribution
You at Work Holdings Ltd (2007 to December 2011)
Non-Executive Chair of this Employee Benefit and Lifestyle Company, which was funded by Barclays Ventures. You at Work managed the communication and provision of employee benefits on behalf of over 190 businesses. Clients included Nestle and Glaxo Smith Kline. You At Work were ranked amongst the top 100 fastest growing technology companies in the UK, according to the Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100 league table published in September 2007. My role to turn a loss making company into one that was efficiently sold to a 3rd party when Barclay’s Ventures wished to withdraw from that sort of investment.
Postcomm – the Postal Services Commission (April 2005 to September 2011)
Commissioner appointed by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 3 separate occasions to sit as an independent regulator for the postal industry. Postcomm’s main tasks were to ensure a universal postal service; further the interests of users, wherever appropriate through competition, license postal operators and control Royal Mail’s prices and quality of service. I successfully chaired the Pay & Staff Development Committee during a turbulent period of transition to OFCOM ensuring a timely, legal, thoughtful handover of staff to them
Challenge Consultancy (1995 to August 2010)
Executive Director and Finance Director of the UK’s leading provider of Equal Opportunities training to over 8000 individuals a year in some 70 organisations. Clients included Unilever, Scottish Enterprise, the BBC and Housing Associations and Charities.
REAL Digital International Ltd (February 2008 TO July 2008)
Non-Executive Director of this digital communication and full colour digital printing company with a turnover of over £10 million and a client list including Tesco, NatWest bank and the Central Office of Information
PDV Ltd. (May 2000 to Jan 2008)
Non-Executive Chair of this Smedvig funded Database Company, which was at the time the number 1 entertainment site in the UK
Goldwag Empson and Otitoju Ltd (Sept. 2004 to Sept. 2007)
Executive Chair of this Loyalty and Marketing services agency which I founded to manage a project for Boots the Chemist to find 3rd parties who would be willing to issue Boots Advantage points as part of their own loyalty programmes
Learning Resources International Ltd (July 2004 to Sept 2006)
Non-Executive Director of one of the UK’s major e-learning and knowledge solutions providers. I created a strategic change of direction to what had been a small owner run business and prepared the company for a sale.
Queercompany.com – Internet Portal & Magazine (May 2000 to 2002)
Managing Director of this Smedvig funded Internet Company. Over 300,000 users of the site, and in Campaign magazine’s top 3 magazine launches of the year.
British Airways – Air Miles – Loyalty Programme (April 1996 to May 2000)
Joint Chief Executive of this BA subsidiary. Responsible for 1200 staff, sales of over £200 million and all major Clients and Partners. We added over 100 new programmes including Sainsbury’s, Vodafone, Mercedes Benz and BUPA. I also sat as an Executive Director on the BA controlled Board of Air Miles and as a Director of MKM promotions
Smith Bundy 7 Partners - Direct Marketing Agency’(November 1994 to April 1996)
Managing Director of a full service direct marketing agency. New business gains included Wang Europe, Boots Optician and Mercury Communications. I was tasked with preparing the company for a successful sale which I delivered
Thomas Cook Group – Travel and Financial Products (1988 to 1994)
Head of Foreign Exchange Development (January 1992 to October 1994), Group Business Systems Manager (May 1990 to
Dec 1991, Group Database Marketing Manager (Oct. 1988 to April 1990)
Thorn EMI (September 1986 to September 1988)
Direct Marketing Manager for Rumbelows the high street chain and Trinity House Finance.
Watson and Albert and Varndell (Nov 1984 to August 1986)
Account Director, clients included Automobile Association and Cornhill. Total billing of my team £1.000.000
Fidelity International Management – Unit Trust (June 1983 to November 1984)
Direct Mail and Marketing Administration Manager, planned, implemented and controlled all Direct Mail Activities.
Yves Rocher (London) Ltd – multinational cosmetic company (June 1979 to June 1983)
In control of all direct mail activities, including 30 mailings a year to over 2,000,000 people.
Education
B.SC. (Econ) London University L.S.E.
23 March 2017