Name: Adam Lewis

Occupation: Consultant

Current Role: Co-opted Board Member to 31 July 2021

Email: adam.lewis@swanstrust.co.uk

Twitter: @AdamjamesLewis7

Why did you join the Trust Board? I have joined the Trust Board in an advisory capacity for the coming season to support and build on the good work that has been done over the past number of years. As a lifelong fan and season ticket holder for 14 years, this was an opportunity that I could not pass up.

Fans are the lifeblood of all clubs – without them, the club itself is just a collection of people. Therefore, the Trust’s stake in the team as the voice of the fans is a critical one. It is an important time for the Trust and the club more widely, given both the challenges surrounding the fallout of relegation and, more recently, the COVID crisis. These challenges will continue to affect the way that the club responds and operates – but the fans and the Trust deserve to provide input throughout this process.

I am here to support the Trust Board in maintaining the great work that they currently do, and exploring opportunities to improve the Trust’s standing both with the club and with its members.

What attributes/skills are you able to bring to the Board? In my career to date, I have provided both consultancy services and strategic advisory to organisations and companies in the Public and Private Sector. I have been able to travel around the world for this, and I feel strongly that the skills and experiences I have gained mean I can provide useful and timely advice and input to the Trust Board.

I will be looking to bring my experience of running and delivering projects for business and technological change, as well as using my knowledge of strategy, operations, branding and marketing to support the Trust. Whilst the industries may be different, the principles of this work can be applied to what the Trust does. I have worked with senior business leaders from across industry and am not afraid to challenge where I feel it is necessary – I will bring that same approach to my work with the Trust.

Aside from practical skills and experience, I will bring the passion that I have for the team and its role as a central pillar of our local community.

How do you feel the Trust can further develop its representation of members and the wider fan base? The Trust has been through some tough and challenging times over the past few years – the outcomes of which are yet to be fully defined. However, the Trust must also continue to support the running of the club as a whole and work closely with the Directors to ensure we continue moving forward. These are sometimes conflicting objectives, but our mission should always be to provide transparency for fans in how our club is being run. To ensure our dealings with the club are positive and constructive, the Trust must be operating from a position of strength with strong backing from members.

The fundamental role of the Trust is still to represent the views of the fans – and therefore to continue to provide input and challenge to the Swans Board, we need a strong membership base. Without constant feedback from fans and members, the club will make decisions without all of the viewpoints in front of them.

However, I believe many of our fans still do not understand the role of the Trust and what it can provide for them, which means that we are not getting the engagement and input that is needed to work with (and sometimes challenge) the club’s Directors.

Creating our message and agenda, getting it out there, and engaging with the fans and our members to develop this further are the essential steps in building our membership base and representing the diverse views of our fans. In these uncertain times, the voice of the fans is more important than ever – especially when we consider when and how fans will be allowed to attend games next season for example.  I will be aiming to support the Trust Board in improving engagement with members and fans alike so we can build our membership and position of strength, and provide all Directors with the views and options to provide the best outcomes for the club and the fans.