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Director, MS Society Cymru/Wales. Judi Rhys
The creation of this new role at MS Society Cymru forms part of the Society’s challenging and ambitious 5-year strategy across the UK. The strategy aims to increase the Society’s activity and reach in the areas of research, information, support, raising standards of care and leading the MS agenda. Strengthening the team in Wales is crucial in order to ensure that these aims are fully achieved in our nation. Judi and her team will work closely with all the key stakeholders in Wales, as well as working with the MS Society’s National Centre to secure the most appropriate allocation of resources and effort, and to foster mutually beneficial collaboration. As a member of the Executive Group of UK and National Directors, Judi will contribute to the leadership, planning and policy formulation across the Society as a whole.
Judi Rhys took up the new role of Director, MS Society Cymru/Wales on January 2, 2008. Judi was, until recently, the Director of Diabetes UK Cymru, and has a wide range of experience and skills to take forward the Society’s work. Judi has held a number of management roles over the past 17 years, and began her career in the NHS, working in health promotion in the valley communities of south Wales. From there, she moved to higher education, where she was Staff Tutor in the Faculty of Health and Social Care with the Open University, managing a team of 45 tutors across Wales, and an Associate Lecturer on a number of health and social care courses. She was also responsible for leading the Open University’s work based learning programme for the Diploma in Social Work in Wales. Following this, Judi was the Training and Development Manager at Cardiff University, where she was responsible for all aspects of staff development for the university’s academic staff. She then moved back into the health field as Team Leader of 13 staff in the Health Improvement Team at Caerphilly County Borough Council before joining Diabetes UK.
Judi has postgraduate qualifications in health promotion, management and education. She is also a licensed trainer for the Springboard women’s development programme.
Born in Port Talbot, in south Wales, Judi has two adult sons, who live in Oxford and London, and she lives with her husband in Michaelston-le-pit, in the Vale of Glamorgan. In her spare time, she is a keen long distance runner, who has completed six marathons and dozens of half marathons in recent years. She is currently ranked number two in Wales for her age group at marathon distance.
Speaking about her new role, Judi said “I am looking forward to taking up this new post with the MS Society and working with colleagues to further develop the activities and impact of the Society in Wales. I appreciate the challenges and opportunities that devolution presents to UK organisations, and I hope that my particular blend of skills and prior experience will prove valuable in taking forward the excellent work that has already been carried out by colleagues at the MS Society Cymru/Wales. As part of my induction programme, I will be out and about, meeting many people affected by MS, and I will ensure that maximising benefit to them remains a paramount consideration in all that I do.”
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