posted 31st December 2020
Craig Bevan Stephenson our Executive Coach, and former Director of Engagement at Senedd Cymru is awarded the OBE in Her Majesty's New Year's Honours List 2021 for Services to the Welsh Parliament and Equality.
Craig, who was born and bred in Barry and now living in Penarth said, "I'm very proud to have played a part in the development of the Senedd since 1999 and to help make it the inclusive institution is has become. Being right at the heart of devolution in Wales and working with a group of committed, enthusiastic staff was a huge privilege. We achieved great things together to help cement the Senedd's reputation as a world class parliament with diversity, fairness and bilingualism rooted in its services and culture. I am absolutely delighted to receive the OBE and thank everyone at the Senedd for this honour".
Craig enjoyed a 38 year career in the Welsh Office/Welsh Parliament from 1981 to the end of 2019. He was part of the team that helped set up the Assembly (now Welsh Parliament/Senedd) prior to the first elections in 1999. He since held roles as Senior Private Secretary to the Education and Lifelong Learning Minister; Principal Private Secretary and Senior Adviser to the Presiding Officer and latterly as Director of Engagement.
He led the Senedd's LGBTQ inclusion programme and in 2018, the Senedd became the most LGBT-inclusive employer and top trans employer in the United Kingdom in Stonewall's Workplace Equality Index. Craig has been named in Wales' Pinc List of influential LGBT people on numerous occasions since 2015 and was previously named as one of Stonewall Cymru's role models in Wales.
Craig continues his equality and public service work as a non-legal member of the Employment Tribunal for England and Wales; Board member of Tai Pawb which promotes equality and social justice in the Welsh housing sector; Chair of South Wales Gay Men's Chorus; Deputy Chair of LGBTQymru which delivered the first ever Wales-Wide Virtual Pride in 2020 and will publish the first on-line LGBTQ+ fully bilingual quarterly magazine in February 2021, and a board member of the Youth Housing Choices project which is developing inclusive housing solutions for those at risk of youth homelessness.
You can find more about executive coaching with Craig CLICK HERE
