Cllr Dimitri Batrouni is the Leader of Newport Council, having taken on the role in May 2024. He has served as a Councillor in Newport since May 2022 and has extensive experience in local government, including as opposition Leader at a previous council and as Cabinet Member for Organisational Transformation. As the Welsh Local Government Association’s lead spokesperson for Digital Leadership, Dimitri advocates for innovative solutions in local governance. With a background in IT, he has worked at both the UK and Welsh Parliaments in senior researcher roles and has lectured in politics at the University of Bristol. Dimitri also served as Senior Analyst for the Independent Monitoring Authority at the Ministry of Justice, overseeing Brexit and citizens’ rights. He is an active member of the Cardiff Capital Region Committee, where he leads the Portfolio for Building Capability – Data and Skills, focusing on regional development and digital transformation.