Manon Antoniazzi

Antoniazzi was born Manon Bonner Jenkins on 15 April 1965.[1] She was born in Cardiff and is the eldest daughter of Emyr and Myra Jenkins.[2][3] Her father was a television presenter, director of the Eisteddfod, and the chief executive of the Arts Council of Wales.[3] Her mother, Myra Jenkins was a Welsh tutor and magistrate.[3] She has a younger sister, Ffion Hague,[3] who is a Welsh broadcaster, author, and former civil servant. Both she and her sister were musically talented.[3]

Antoniazzi was a pupil at Ysgol Llanhari, a Welsh-medium school for ages 3 to 18 in the village of Llanharry, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.[2][4] She attended St John's College, Cambridge from 1983 to 1989. In 1990 she was awarded a PhD in Medieval Literature; her thesis was entitled Aspects of the Welsh prophetic verse tradition in the Middle Ages: incorporating textual studies of poetry from Llyfr Coch Hergest and Y Cwta Cyfarwydd.[5] A copy is held by the National Library of Wales.[6]

She started as a Press Officer at Welsh Water plc, and became Head of Press and Public Relations at S4C in 1991.[2] Antoniazzi was a member of the royal household of the Prince of Wales, where she served as a senior Private Secretary for Wales.[7] She first took up her post in 1994, departing in 1998, but returned to the household in 2004 until 2012.[2] During her time in that role, she helped Charles, Prince of Wales, become more involved in Welsh life by purchasing Llwynywermod, his first property in Wales.[8][9] She also gave Prince William Welsh lessons.[10]

In 1998 she was appointed Director of Communication Services at the National Assembly for Wales.[2] She joined the BBC Wales in 2000 as Secretary and Head of Public Affairs, late becoming Director of Nations and Regions.[2] She was also the chairman of The Prince's Trust, Cymru from 2001 to 2004.[2]

In January 2012 she joined the Board of the Heritage Lottery Fund as Deputy Chair and Chair of the Committee for Wales.[11]

She became the Chief Executive Officer of Visit Wales within the Welsh Government in 2012.[12][13] Antoniazzi was appointed Chief Executive and Clerk to the National Assembly for Wales, assuming this position in April 2017 with a salary of £125,170.[14][15]

She has been on the Advisory Council of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and a director from 22 May 2012 until 11 August 2016.[16][17] She has been Governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company and a member of the advisory boards of the Philharmonia Orchestra and Welsh National Opera.[17]

In the 1998 Queen's Birthday Honours, Antoniazzi was made a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO). In the 2012 Birthday Honours, she was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO).[18][19]

Her first marriage was to the Welsh baritone opera singer Jeremy Huw Williams on 18 September 1991 at St John's College Chapel, Cambridge.[2][20] The couple had one daughter, Indeg Elen Williams.[21][2] The marriage ended in divorce.

On Easter weekend 2014 she was married for a second time, to John Antoniazzi. They were married in Lake Como, Italy, and held a wedding party at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff.[21] They currently reside in Cardiff.[21]

• Antoniazzi's profile on the Senedd website
• Manon Antoniazzi on Twitter