IWA Forward thinking for Wales
Sefydliad Materion Cymreig
Institute of Welsh Affairs
About Us

IWA Staff

picture of john osmond John Osmond
Director

John Osmond has focused much of the IWA's work around the wide-ranging domestic agenda within the remit of the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government. He is the author of numerous books on Welsh politics and culture, including Creative Conflict: the politics of Welsh devolution (1977), The Divided Kingdom (1988), Welsh Europeans (1995), Birth of Welsh Democracy (Ed.) (2003), and Crossing the Rubicon: Coalition Politics Welsh Style (2008). A former journalist and television producer, he is a Fellow of the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, and has been awarded an Honorary MA by the University of Wales.

Born and brought up in Abergavenny near the Welsh border, John graduated from the University of Bristol and began his career in journalism with Yorkshire Post newspapers in the late 1960s. In the 1970s he became Welsh Affairs Corrrespondent with the Western Mail. During 1980-82 he edited ARCADE- Wales Fortnightly, a cultural and current affairs magazine.  He then moved into television becoming a current affairs journalist and later producer with HTV. He produced a major 10-part documentary series The Divided Kingdom for Channel 4 in the mid-1980s. From 1988 to 1990 he was deputy editor with Wales on Sunday, helping to launch the new newspaper. During the early 1990s he worked as a freelance journalist and television producer. He became Director of the IWA in April 1996.

   
picture of Kirsty Davies Kirsty Davies
Deputy Director

Kirsty joined the Institute of Welsh Affairs in September 2008, fresh from
studying Philosophy as a mature student at the University of Glamorgan. Kirsty's previous background in sales and marketing places her ideally for her role which involves raising the profile of the IWA and ensuring the future financial sustainability of the organisation. Kirsty is a County Councillor for Llandaff in Cardiff, with a passion for Welsh politics and culture.
   
picture of clare johnson Clare Johnson
Administrator & Company Secretary

A French graduate and qualified translator, Clare lived and worked in Canada, Egypt and London before returning to Wales in 1996. She is currently responsible for general administration of the Institute, servicing the Board and Finance and General Purposes Committee, providing support to the Branches, and organising events throughout Wales.
   
picture of helen sims coomber Dr Helen Sims-Coomber
Finance & I.T. Officer

Helen holds a BSc in Maths and a PhD in Geometry and Computer Graphics, both from the University of Wales. She is in charge of the IWA's I.T. systems and finances, and is the IWA's Quality Manager.
   
  Dr Stevie Upton
Research Officer

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