FOR Cardiff appoints its first woman executive director

FOR Cardiff, the Welsh capital’s Business Improvement District (BID), has appointed Carolyn Brownell as executive director, making Cardiff the first – and only – female-led BID of any Welsh city.

Working with FOR Cardiff since its inception in 2017, Carolyn has been in-post as interim executive director since March 2023 and has championed equality and safety for all Cardiffians within her mandate – making it a great place to work, live, and visit.

In her year serving as interim executive director, Carolyn has championed all women in Cardiff through launching a range of support programmes for women.

From pioneering the Welsh-language Ask for Angela scheme, to founding the Women’s Safety Charter, to mentoring women in business, she has worked to ensure that Cardiff provides the best possible support for all its residents.

Carolyn said, “Equality and safety for all, but especially women, is one of my highest priorities.

“Cardiff is already a fantastic place to work, live, and play – my mission now is to make sure that all women within the city feel safe and seen, at all times, at all levels.

“On a wider scale, I’m keen to see Cardiff get the credit it deserves as a capital city.

“Cardiff’s humility is part of its charm, but the city is just as deserving of a seat at the global table as Paris, or Rome, or London – we need some capital city confidence.”

She added, “We view Cardiff as a modern European capital with a unique personality that we want to nurture.

“We want Cardiff to be a great place to come for business and for pleasure, but also a place for locals to be proud of.”

FOR Cardiff next goes to ballot in 2026 to be voted in for a third term. The Business Improvement District works hard to deliver improvements for the 750+ city centre businesses as well as to the wider community in Cardiff.

For more information, visit forcardiff.com