Mario Kreft MBE

Over the course of a 40-year career in the health and social care sector, Mario Kreft MBE has transformed the industry, raising the profile of care professionals and ensuring that the sector is seen as a vital part of the economy. He was the first leader in social care to be appointed as an advisor to a government minister and he helped guide Wales’s Deputy Health Minister throughout the COVID pandemic. Earlier he played a pivotal role as Co-Founder and Chair of Care Forum Wales in drawing up new legislation that has been described as the most important reform of social care since devolution in 1997. As a founding member of the Five Nations Care Forum, his influence extends across all four nations of the UK and Ireland. The Wales Care Awards, which he founded and chairs, have done much to elevate the status of care professionals. Mario’s other passion is the arts where again his impact has been hugely impressive, sponsoring dozens of music, artistic and community projects that have enriched the cultural life of tens of thousands of people. His philanthropy in the arts encompasses the internationally renowned Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, the North Wales International Music Festival and many other events.