Former HCC boss ‘would have been sacked if he hadn’t quit’

Former Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) chief executive Gwyn Howells would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had he not resigned, according to an independent inquiry.

The Welsh red meat levy body HCC – Meat Promotion Wales – revealed last month that Mr Howells, who had been on sick leave for a year, had resigned from the organisation on Friday 14 June.

In a statement released on behalf of the HCC’s board on Tuesday (16 July), it was revealed that Mr Howells left his post “prior to a disciplinary hearing”, which had followed a “thorough investigation”.

See also: Welsh red meat body in turmoil after two directors resign

HCC has not provided any details on the nature of the misconduct.

But while the levy board said it “now considers the matter closed”, Farmers Weekly understands that Mr Howells tendered his resignation with the intention of clearing his name, and is taking professional advice.

HCC said both aspects were carried out by specialist, independent human resources experts who were supported by legal advice. 

“The board decided that the seriousness of the matter necessitated that the disciplinary officer should be allowed to deliver a final report to conclude the process properly,” said the statement.

“That report concluded that there was sufficient evidence of gross misconduct on three separate counts related to Mr Howells’ management and leadership.

“The board has accepted all recommendations from the specialist human resources and legal advisors throughout the process.”

Farmers Weekly asked HCC to release a copy of the report into Mr Howells, and to reveal the identity of the independent HR company, but it declined, saying this information was “confidential”. 

Last month, Farmers Weekly exclusively revealed that HCC was in turmoil after two directors resigned as of 12 June – Glyn Rhys Davis, an agricultural surveyor, and Prys Morgan, procurement director for Kepak Retail, based at Merthyr Tydfil.

Heather Anstey-Myers, who is acting as HCC interim chief executive, confirmed the departure of both directors and Mr Howells, who she said had “made a huge contribution working in the industry for many decades”.

Crisis comms help

Meanwhile, alongside its own internal comms team, HCC has hired a PR company which has expertise in crisis communications – Stay Gold Media – to help support their team with communications around the board, staffing and HR matters. 

In a testimonial on Stay Gold Media’s website, interim chief executive Heather Anstey-Myers said: “Working across legal, HR and organisational input, Brian [Meechan, of Stay Gold] helped us control the narrative and create a calm response, with clear lines to take and written responses we could use with our staff and stakeholders.”

Mr Howells was unavailable for comment.