Meet The Team

Steve graduated from Cardiff University in 2000 and promptly started his first business venture. This innovative ecommerce company was the Welsh winner of the Ecommerce Awards three years in a row, one of the first businesses incubated by @Wales and traded successfully for 12 years.

With over 15 years of hands on business experience Steve brings to the team skills in business administration and a practical knowledge of the business environment. Steve's interests lie in small business finance and in ensuring that potential entrepreneurs have developed the skills required to take a step back from the business idea and to ensure that they can create a viable and successful business from a financial standpoint. Steve also has practical experience of many issues which are of relevance to new entrepreneurs such as HR, health and safety, company registration and bookkeeping requirements and is therefore able to ensure that entrepreneurs are able to access the advice that they need.

Steve has been a member of the team in the Centre for Entrepreneurship since 2013 and is responsible for extra-curricular engagement and jointly responsible for start-up support and the incubation/accelerator programme.

To contact Steve
Call 029 2041 6338
Email: saicheler@cardiffmet.ac.uk 

Fran's role is to provide 1:1 support to students and graduates who are starting or growing a business or freelancing career.  She is also responsible for delivering extra-curricular workshops. 

Fran has over a decade of experience of self-employment, including working as a freelancer and running a Ltd. Company.  She has experience of the many challenges faced by start-up businesses including health and safety, branding, pitching and company registration. Fran specialises in supporting businesses within the creative industries and freelancers. 

She enjoys supporting students and graduates to build their skills and confidence to create a successful business or freelancing career. 

Fran is a founding 300 member of Be The Spark and in addition to her part time role at the Centre for Entrepreneurship, she is a Big Ideas Wales Role Model and a freelancer.

To contact Fran
Email: fehunt@cardiffmet.ac.uk

Roger has been the of strategic Chair of Coastal Housing Group 2017-22 & NPT Homes/Tai-Tarian 2011-17.  Vice Chair of Community Housing Cymru, Chair of Port Talbot Business Improvement District (where he secured WG funding to refurbish a town centre building into a vibrant innovative Business Hub with pop up retail spaces) and Non-Executive Director of Pennant Homes. He is a Business Development Advisor and Communications professional with his own company advising SME’s. He is an experienced Non-Exec Director and a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and has a Master’s in Leadership & Management with a Foundation Degree in Strategic Social-Media. He has been a Digital Project Manager and Business Advisor for Neath Port Talbot Council Enterprise Club and Business Manager for Thrive Enterprises (Port Talbot Women’s Aid, where he established and managed two successful social enterprises) Roger was responsible for overseeing the construction, fit- out and management of St Pauls Centre on behalf of the Church in Wales. A new £1.5 million community hub with coffee shop. He has an extensive background in the Arts as a Casting Director/Agent and Producer for Film/TV and Theatre in London. He has an extensive professional knowledge of business from start-up to multi-nationals with turnovers exceeding £40 million per annum. He is passionate about innovation and supporting students/graduates to achieve their business ambitions. 

Email: rwilliams4@cardiffmet.ac.uk

Izzy is the Enterprise Champion for CSM, CSESP and CST - she is currently taking parental leave.

Email: iford@cardiffmet.ac.uk

Hannah graduated from Cardiff Met University in 2015 with a BA Hons degree in event management. The majority of Hannah's early career was spent within the sports sector, mainly focussed on marketing and communications for semi-professional sports teams and NGB's. Following a period of time working within a small PR agency, Hannah moved back to Cardiff Met in 2019 for a role within the Centre for Entrepreneurship. Her current role as an Enterprise Champion focusses on supporting the planning, design, delivery and promotion of a range of extra curricular events, workshops and activities relating to enterprise skills and entrepreneurship and the delivery of in curriculum enterprise education sessions. 

Hannah has also completed the "Preparing to Teach in PcET"  course at Cardiff Met, and outside of work is proud to be a Time To Change Wales champion, helping normalise and open conversations around mental health difficulties and reducing stigma and discrimination faced by individuals across Wales. Outside of work, Hannah owns her own cake business which has been running since 2017.

Email: hwillis@cardiffmet.ac.uk

To promote sustainability and social impact through lectures, teaching resources and workshops. To empower students to work within a sustainable entrepreneurial framework. To develop and support students to create their own social enterprise. Enactus UA

Email: rknox@cardiffmet.ac.uk

I've had a portfolio career with experience in public sector, private sector, regional and international business. Most recently, I established my own suits of businesses. The common thread that connects all of my business experiences is communication and relationships. Nothing happens until you talk to somebody.

This experience, and the skills that I have developed, fits well within the Centre for Entrepreneurship. The centre supports, enables and encourages entrepreneurial activity across Cardiff Metropolitan University, inspiring every student to develop an entrepreneurial mind set.

A key part of this Centre is the developing Alumni Business Network – a diverse, supportive community of students, alumni and business people. The network is an engaging forum of entrepreneurial expertise and advice, a safe space to share real business challenges, and work together to find solutions and share experiences.

You don't change culture and you can't engage in entrepreneurial action through emails and memos. You change it through relationships, one conversation at a time.

Email: mmanson@cardiffmet.ac.uk