Three new Directors join Hoci Cymru

Congratulations to James Fortnam, John Bowyer and Matt Clement, who join Hoci Cymru as Directors.

Recruitment for Non-Executive Board Directors has concluded and we are pleased to advise that our Elected Directors are James Fortnam and John Bowyer, with Kate Williams continuing for a second term and Matt Clement appointed Performance Director.

James Fortnam is a Market Director for Wales, Scotland & Ireland within Robert Half, a $6bn staffing and consultancy business.

During his time, he was recognised as a global top performer as well as a top UK performer, his expertise lies within executive consultancy, Stakeholder engagement, commercial revenue generation & performance management.

Alongside his corporate career, James is a former international hockey player, earning nearly 50 senior caps for Wales and representing the nation at the 2018 Commonwealth Games & 2 A-Divisions. With over 13 years of club-level experience at Cardiff & Met Hockey Club, he remains deeply committed to the sport.

James combines elite sporting insight with strategic leadership to support the organisation’s growth, champion inclusive governance, and strengthen commercial partnerships across the Welsh hockey community.

John Bowyer may be a rare figure in Welsh hockey—someone who’s never played the sport himself. His background lies in rugby, both as a player and a WRU referee for over 25 years. However, his passion for hockey has grown through his family’s deep involvement: his son and grandson play for Swansea, his daughter has captained the Welsh Masters more than any other player, and his granddaughters are active in junior hockey. Supporting them across the globe inspired John to contribute to the sport’s development in Wales.

Now retired from a successful career in the food industry—where he held senior roles in major UK companies and led Wales’ largest chilled and frozen food manufacturer—John brings strategic insight and commercial experience to hockey. He’s also known for helping establish a fisherman’s co-operative that boosted the Welsh fishing industry.

John is committed to helping hockey grow, especially by attracting commercial funding to ease financial burdens and expand access. He says, “I don’t know how successful I’ll be, but I will try awfully hard.” His dedication and fresh perspective make him a valuable asset to Welsh hockey’s future.

Matt Clement is an experienced sports leader and coach developer with more than 15 years’ experience across high-performance sport, coach education, and talent development.

He currently leads global education strategy at FIFA, designing and delivering programmes that support coach and technical leader development across more than 200 national associations. Matt has been at the forefront of creating innovative learning systems in elite sport, including blended coach education, leadership mentoring, and the use of emerging technologies in learning.

Matt has held coaching and player-development roles across the professional game in Wales, including coaching positions at Cardiff City and Swansea City, supporting youth and emerging talent pathways. He has also served as a national youth coach and coach educator for the FAW, contributing to player and coach development structures across Welsh football.

He holds an MSc in Sports Directorship, an MSc in Coaching Science, a PGCE in Post-Compulsory Education, and UEFA coaching qualifications. Passionate about inclusive leadership and talent pathways, Matt is committed to supporting the continued growth of Welsh sport and contributing to the future development of hockey across Wales.

Bill Riley, Hoci Cymru Board Chair commented:

“I’m delighted to welcome our new Directors to the Board. Their diverse experience, specialist skills, and technical insight will be invaluable as we navigate an exciting yet demanding period for Welsh hockey. Our recent on-field success brings new opportunities—and challenges—as we strive to do more with less. I’m confident that, together, we’ll continue to build a resilient, inclusive, and ambitious future for the sport.”