Six months ago, BIC Innovation’s ownership changed. Every member of our team became part of that ownership story. And with that came a new question:
What does ownership actually look like, day to day?
Because becoming employee owned isn’t just about transferring shares. It’s about how decisions are made, whose voices are heard, and how responsibility is shared across the business.
That’s where our Employee Trustee Directors come in.
When we first made the move to full employee ownership, we were building something new. New structures. New responsibilities. New Governance. A new way of empowering staff to have a meaningful voice in shaping our future.
At that point, Wyn Jones stepped into the role of Employee Trustee Director. But in many ways, Wyn had already been doing this.
Back in 2023, he joined the Board as our Minority Shareholder Director, representing the interests of employee shareholders during our hybrid ownership phase. His role then was to make sure that those with a stake in the business had a voice in how it was run.
As we transitioned to full employee ownership, that principle didn’t change, it deepened.
Wyn carried that thread of representation into our new structure, helping us bridge the gap between what we were and what we were becoming.
Over the past six months, as we’ve found our feet, he’s played an important role in shaping how employee ownership works in practice, bringing perspective into Trustee Board discussions and helping turn something structural into something lived.
As his term now comes to an end, we want to say a genuine thank you for the role he’s played bridging both chapters of our journey.
And now, the baton passes on.
Over the past few weeks, colleagues have stepped forward, shared their perspectives, and taken part in the election process. It’s been a strong reminder that people care about how BIC is shaped and want to play a role in that.
We’re really pleased to welcome Brandon Ristow-Wilson as our new Employee Trustee, joining Joan Edwards in representing our team at trustee level.
Now, it’s worth pausing on what this role actually is, because it’s often misunderstood.
It’s not about representing individual views or being pulled into day-to-day decisions. It’s not about voting on the small things or acting as a spokesperson.
Instead, the Employee Trustee sits as a director of the Trust, with a responsibility to act in the interests of all employees, present and future. They bring perspective into discussions, help shape long-term decisions, and make sure employee ownership works as it should: fairly, responsibly, and with the bigger picture in mind.
As part of our transition, we created space for employee voice through the Trustee Board, and roles like this ensure that voice is part of how decisions are shaped, not just how they’re communicated.
Together, the Employee Trustee Directors, sit alongside Huw Watkins as Selling Shareholder Trustee, Rod Howells as Board-appointed Trustee, and Rhiannon Cooke an Independent Trustee, forming a balanced group that brings continuity, independence, and employee perspective into how the business is governed. Huw commented:
Employee ownership doesn’t stand still. It evolves. It’s shaped by the people who step forward, take responsibility, and help guide what comes next.
Six months in, we’re still learning. Still building. Still figuring out what this looks like day to day.
And that’s exactly how it should be.
Because the legal transition may be complete, but the real work of employee ownership is just getting started.
