Pathfinder Spotlight: Felix Milbank
Felix Millbank, 24, is originally from Cardiff and splits his time between Wales and Denmark. He studied International Relations and Economics at Northeastern University at the campus in London. Felix works at Senedd Cymru (The Welsh Parliament) and is passionate about strengthening the connections between Wales and the Scandinavian and Nordic countries.
"During my time at University, I took on a few job roles, the most notable being at the European Parliament. This role allowed me to work with the European People’s Party (EPP), where I was responsible for putting together policies and ideas to improve the UK’s relationship with the EU."
Despite only being 24, you’ve achieved a lot in a short period of time. Did you always have a career plan?
No, after studying at Ysgol Glantaf I wasn’t sure what to do next so I took two gap years. During my first gap year I worked in some coffee shops before deciding to do some campaigning on the Brexit referendum. As the first monumental UK political issue in my adult lifetime, I wanted to get involved. Despite being under the legal age to vote I wanted to have my voice heard on the matter and through campaigning I found my love for politics.
After spending my second gap year working in Australia, I returned home and decided to study Politics and International Relations at Northeastern University (London campus), an American University based in Boston, Massachusetts. This opportunity encouraged me to network with people from all over the world and broadened my mindset. During my time at University, I took on a few job roles, the most notable being at the European Parliament. This role allowed me to work with the European People’s Party (EPP), where I was responsible for putting together policies and ideas to improve the UK’s relationship with the EU. While I’ve found a love for politics, it wasn’t so clear-cut for me straight out of school.
What was the driving force behind your decision to enter politics?
Brexit has had a massive impact on my life and how I’ve chosen my career. As someone who wants to work and travel abroad, I understand the challenges we face post-EU. There are things now I’d never thought of before such as: applying for a working visa, the financial implications of starting a business abroad and for someone with a Danish partner, the potential barrier of living outside of the UK. However, one of the positives was that this political change forced me to re-evaluate my future and what I wanted to do to make an impact, which led me to think more about my home country, Wales. My love for the Scandics happened by pure chance when I served as the campaign manager for a local candidate in Denmark's municipal elections in 2021. Since then, I’ve deepened my relationship with the country, and used it as an opportunity to champion new opportunities between my native land and new found home.
So, why did you choose to start a business?
I founded Risby Consulting along with my close friend and former university classmate Justus Becher, we had the ambition of being able to bring people together and champion new networks. Through our research, we found that Wales had so much in common with the Scandinavian and Nordic countries. There are similarities in population size and the landscape but there are also similarities in respect to research and development projects and how we’ve shaped our service industry. While I’d argue that Wales’ service framework reflects the Scandinavian market a few decades ago, I think we can draw on their successes and shape Wales’ future around their model.
We can’t compete with more established economies such as France or Germany, but I believe we could be seen as equal players among the Scandinavian and Nordic countries, which is why Risby Consulting focuses on these markets. Since Brexit, I saw the growing importance of elevating Wales’ image globally, especially as the countries within the UK are being viewed more individually now. I’ve seen consultancy firms promoting Wales in France, Belgium and The Netherlands so I thought why wouldn’t we do the same in the Scandinavian and Nordic markets?
"My Pathfinder membership has allowed me to build personal connections rather than purely professional ones and has created opportunities for me to expand on work opportunities. When I’ve needed to travel, I’ve connected with the Welsh diaspora, learned more about the places I’m travelling to and sometimes made new in-person connections."
Why do you think networking is a must for the younger generation?
Well, it’s through networking that I've truly ignited my love for Wales and GlobalWelsh has been a big part of that journey. It’s amazing to network with people who have a common interest and whilst I already knew that Welsh people are sociable and passionate about being Welsh, having an online community helps us do what we do best, share our stories.
My Pathfinder membership has allowed me to build personal connections rather than purely professional ones and has created opportunities for me to expand on work opportunities. When I’ve needed to travel, I’ve connected with the Welsh diaspora, learned more about the places I’m travelling to and sometimes made new in-person connections. While my role at Risby is now at an arm's length, due to my job at the Welsh Parliament, I continue to champion the company's goals of seeing more Danish and Scandic companies locating to Wales and seeing Welsh companies recognise the export and service potential vice-versa.
For me, the main advantage of my membership has been connecting with the Welsh diaspora in Scandinavian and Nordic countries, as I’ve been able to build relationships with them, some of whom I would never have found outside of the platform. These international connections have cemented why I’ve focused on these nations and although we’re only a small number on Connect right now, in time, I’m hoping to create a dedicated Nordic and Scandinavian Hub to discuss what we can do to hoist the Welsh flag and raise awareness of our wonderful little country in the region. This community of inspirational and aspirational Welsh people will boost Wales’ global image and I’m happy and proud to be a part of it!
Connect with Felix >>
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