Despite the uncertainties of Brexit, there are big plans for the future of Swansea.
A major redevelopment of the city centre is in the pipeline, business entrepreneurs are continually seeking out opportunities, and its arts scene is thriving.
But who are the people driving that change, and helping to build the Swansea of the future.
We have taken a look at some of the most influential movers and shakers in the city in the fields of politics, business, public service, sport, and culture.
Please let us know if you think we've missed someone important...
BUSINESS
Chief executive of Swansea Business Improvement District - Russell Greenslade
BID aims to make Swansea city centre a better place to visit and shop.
With almost twenty years of experience in senior management positions within commercial, marketing, property development, pharmaceuticals, retail, FMCG and wholesale, Mr Greenslade took to the helm of Swansea BID in 2009.
He has helped the organisation engage with local, regional, national and global businesses, delivering award-winning schemes and projects.
Mumbles Pier owner - Fred Bollom
Managing director of Ameco, which owns Mumbles Pier, Mr Bollom, with brother Bert, is behind plans to develop the foreshore at the pier, which includes proposals for up to seventy hotel rooms, 26 foreshore flats and a boardwalk. He succeeded as MD his father John, he remains company chairman.
Ameco is currently in the process of refurbishing Mumbles Pier.
The man behind Oyster Wharf in Mumbles - James Morse
The commercial director of Nextcolour Developments, the firm behind Oyster Wharf.
The multi-million pound project has transformed the the seafront in Mumbles, which now boasts an array of restaurants including Croeso Lounge, Pierre Bistrot, and Prezzo, as well as clothing company Joules.
Chief executive behind Kilvey Hill gondola plans - Geoff McDonald
The chief executive of New Zealand-based Skyline Enterprises.
The company is behind plans for the creation of a leisure development on Kilvey Hill, Swansea, which includes plans for a cable car ride and ziplines.
As well as New Zealand, the company runs resorts in Canada, South Korea and Singapore.
It has signed a heads of terms for a development agreement with Swansea Council.
Bar owners - Bruno Nunes & Mike Jones-Griffiths
Co-founders and owners of bars Brewstone in Uplands, and Bambu, Peppermint and The Bucket List in Wind Street.
The business partners and their company, Creative Hospitality Group, employ more than 200 people.
Bar owner - Noah Redfern
Businessman behind Noah's Yard bar in Uplands.
The popular venue, which opened in 2010, is credited with kick-starting the transformation of the Swansea suburb, which now has a host of trendy bars and eateries, and has been dubbed by as one of the coolest parts of the UK.
The bar regularly changes the sign above the business with quirky messages or to mark special occasions. He is also behind plans to convert the former observatory on the marina beachfront into a cafe and restaurant.
Co-founder of Admiral - Henry Englehardt
The former chief executive of Admiral Group, the only FTSE 100 company in Wales, remains a part-time employee with the firm, mentoring senior manages and taking part in recruitment.
The insurance giant, which he co-founded in Cardiff in 1991, is worth £6billion.
Shortly before he stepped down, he paid a £7m thank you to Admiral's 8,000 workforce. The firm employs 7,500 workers at its offices in Swansea, Cardiff and Newport.
Admiral Chief executive - David Stevens
Another founder of Admiral, he took over as chief executive of the firm when Henry Engelhardt stepped down in 2016.
He was awarded a CBE in 2010 for services to business and the community in Wales.
And he was one of the investors in the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project, which the UK government decided not to back. His wife, Heath, is also one of Admiral's founder-managers.
Hotel owner - Martin Morgan
The entrepreneur started his career in property, and then developed travel agency business, The Travel House, which he later sold for £40m.
Since then he has invested in several local ventures, including hotels, most notably Morgans in Swansea city centre.
He had invested in Swansea City, but sold most of his stake in 2016 when the club was acquired by its new US owners in a £100m deal.
Co-founder of translation services company Wolfestone - Anna Bastek
With a background of building start-up companies, Anna was awarded the title of UK Entrepreneur of the Year, Welsh Director of the Year, and Swansea Bay Woman of the Year in 2012 and 2009.
She is an inspirational speaker and an Entrepreneurial Dynamo Role Model for the Welsh Government, and judges various business awards. Anna is also a triathlete.
Senior partner Dawsons - Chris Hope
Formed in 1991, estate agents Dawsons employs around 110 staff.
It has eight major sales branches at Swansea, Mumbles, Morriston, Sketty, Killay, Gorseinon, Llanelli town centre and Swansea Marina.
Whisky company bosses - Nigel and Stephen Short
The brothers are behind Aberdare-based business Penderyn Whisky.
The company is planning to develop the former Swansea Copperworks site in Landore, to open another distillery, with a visitor centre, ship, conference suite and exhibition.
Property company owner - Sir John Venables-Llewelyn
With his family Sir John owns Penllergaer Estates, a property operation worth around £24million.
Care company boss - Stuart Lopez
Runs the Swansea-based care provider Fieldbay, which is worth around £30million.
A vision of future Swansea:
SPORT
Swansea City FC chairman - Huw Jenkins
Part of the consortium that took over Swansea City from former owner Tony Petty, he was appointed club chairman in 2002, and helped oversee the club's journey to the Premier League, at the same time as turning it into a profitable business.
He received an OBE for services to Welsh football in 2015.
Swansea City FC coach - Graham Potter
The former Premier League footballer has played for Southampton, Stoke, West Bromwich Albion and Reading, and was capped for England at under-21 level.
He replaced Paul Clement as manager of Swansea City in June last year on a three-year contract.
Co-owner Swansea City FC - Jason Levien
The former lawyer turned sporting executive is co-owner of Swansea City.
Also the CEO of Major League Soccer club DC United, and with a history of representing high value American sporting clients, his take over of the Swans, with business partner Steve Kaplan, was not without controversy, with the Supporters' Trust claiming they had not been consulted over the move.
Co-owner Swansea City FC - Steve Kaplan
Co-owner of Swansea City with Jason Levien, the trained attorney is also co-executive chairman of American professional basketball team, The Memphis Grizzlies.
The pair have around 60 per cent of the Welsh club.
Chairman of Ospreys Rugby - Mike James
The chairman of Ospreys Rugby is one of the original benefactors to bankroll the game after it went professional in 1995.
A prominent figure in Swansea and Ospreys rugby for decades, he played for the All Whites between 1968 and 1975, then backed the club financially up until 2003, when he wrote off the debts owed to him personally, having reportedly pumped £250,000 into the club.
He has been involved in property development and was once chief executive of Liberty Properties Ltd, the business which owns the naming rights to the Liberty Stadium.
Ospreys coach - Allen Clarke
The Ospreys coach was capped by Ireland at international level, after spending much of his professional playing career with Ulster.
He spent several seasons with Northampton Saints. He joined the Ospreys as forwards coach under Steve Tandy, taking over when Tandy was sacked in January, 2018.
MEDIA
Commercial managing director Media Wales - Lisa Cameron
Served with the Royal Navy for almost five years, before taking on a role as a telesales executive in the Plymouth office of what was then the newspaper group, Northcliffe Media.
She moved to Swansea in 2006 as a classified manager, before moving from advertising director to commercial director.
She was appointed to commercial managing director of Media Wales, whose brands include WalesOnline and newspapers the Western Mail and the South Wales Evening Post, in 2018.
PUBLIC SERVICES
Chief executive of Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board - Tracy Myhill
ABMU Health Board serves a population of approximately 500,000 people, has a budget of £1.3 billion, and employs approximately 16,000 members of staff, 70% of whom are involved in direct patient care.
Ms Myhill took over the top job last year, after undertaking the role with the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust. She has worked within the NHS for more than 30 years, in several board roles including executive director and national director.
Chief executive of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) - Julie Lennard
The agency, which is responsible for maintaining a database of drivers in Great Britain and a database of vehicles for the entire United Kingdom, employs almost 5,500 people in Swansea.
Julie, is the first woman to be appointed as the DVLA’s chief executive, having previously served as the agency’s director of strategy, policy and communications.
Prior to that she worked at The National Archives and consumer champion Which?
Chief executive Coastal Housing - Debbie Green
Formerly the group finance director, Debbie became chief executive of Coastal in 2014.
She has also been chairman of charity Chwarae Teg, and is currently chairman of Community Housing Cymru, and treasurer of leading Welsh mental health and wellbeing charity, Gofal Cymru.
Chief executive Pobl Amanda Davies
Formed from the merger of Seren Group and Grŵp Gwalia, Pobl manages more than 15,000 homes, and employs around 2,500 people.
The not-for-profit group is responsible for homes across Wales.
EDUCATION
University of Wales Trinity St David vice chancellor - Medwin Hughes
Responsible for the creation of the university through the merger of the University of Wales, Lampeter; Trinity University College and Swansea Metropolitan University, which also includes Coleg Sir Gâr.
The university opened its new £350 million campus in SA1 in 2018
THE ARTS
Film director Kevin Allen
The film director and producer, screen writer and actor has appared in The Comic Strip, Absolutely Fabulous, French and Saunders, Bottom and The Thin Blue Line.
He wrote and directed cult Swansea-based film Twin Town, which launched the career of Rhys Ifans.
He also directed and co-wrote the movie adaptation of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood, selected as the British entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards, as well as directing Hollywood feature films.
Mr Allen is currently working on a ‘companion piece’ to Twin Town, based in Llanelli and called Tin Town.
Production designer Ed Thomas
Ed was instrumental in bringing worldwide hit series Da Vinci's Demons to Bay Studios on Fabian Way. He had 18 nominations on the Bafta Cymru shortlist of the Bafta Cymru shortlist in 2015 following further success with Jack To A King, documenting the rise of Swansea City FC, which was produced by YJB Films, the company he jointly runs with entertainer Mal Pope.
Musician and producer Mal Pope
Also a radio and TV presenter, Mal has written musicals Cappuccino Girls, Amazing Grace The Musical, and jointly runs YJB Films, which produced critically acclaimed film Jack To A King. He has a long career in the music industry, after being signed by Elton John in the early seventies.
Artistic director Volcano Theatre - Paul Davies
A writer, performer, deviser and director, who holds a doctorate in politics and a black belt in karate.
With Fern Smith he is one of the founder members of Volcano and for 26 years has been half of its distinctive and long-standing core creative team.
He has directed work in Montreal and Croatia and taught in various academies around the world.
Artist and gallery curator - Jane Simpson
A graduate of the Royal Academy Schools, she was championed by Brit art luminary Damien Hirst who included her in a show at the Serpentine Gallery, and her sculptures have been bought by Charles Saatchi.
In 2015 she opened Galerie Simpson in the High Street of her home town of Swansea, which has featured work by some of the biggest names in contemporary British art, including Gavin Turk, Sir Peter Blake, Rachel Whitehead and Gary Hume.
Author and Dylan Thomas expert - Jeff Towns
An antiquarian bookdealer for more than forty years, Jeff is an internationally-renowned authority on Dylan Thomas, and has written a number of books.
His Dylan Thomas collections sit in museums and institutions in Kyoto in Japan, Texas, San Francisco, Aberystwyth, the National Library of Wales, and Swansea.
He has sold rare Dylan Thomas books and manuscripts to Mick Jagger, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Prince Charles, Peter Blake, Cerys Matthews, Catherine Zeta Jones & Allen Ginsberg.
His latest book, Edward Thomas and Wales, has just been published. He now sells books from his mobile book bus.
Acting agent - Mark Jermin
After studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Mark was responsible for the opening ceremony at Swansea’s new Liberty Stadium and the closing ceremony of Cardiff Arms Park.
He founded his eponymous stage school in Swansea in 1992, and has since opened more in Carmarthen, Llanelli, Port Talbot, Penarth, Pontypridd, Cardiff and London.
In 2009 he opened his own agency, Mark Jermin Management, and stage school students have landed leading roles in TV productions including Eastenders, Waterloo Road, Casualty, Tess of the D’Urbevilles, Dr Who, Torchwood, Pobyl-y-Cwm, Skins and Stella.
Writer - Owen Sheers
The poet, author, playwright and TV presenter was the first writer in residence to be appointed by the Welsh Rugby Union, and is currently professor of creativity at Swansea University.
He has won a host of awards including the Wales Book of the Year, twice, The Wilfred Owen Poetry Award and the Hay Medal for Poetry.
Entertainer - Kevin Johns
The Swansea Sound presenter is an all-round entertainer, with his talents taking in musical theatre, stand-up comedy, presenting, panto, and writing a newspaper column.
He is also chaplain to his beloved Swansea City FC, and received an MBE in 2010 for services to charity.
POLITICS
Councillor Rob Stewart, leader of Swansea Council
First elected in 2003 as ward member for Morriston, Councillor Stewart was appointed as council cabinet member for finance in 2012, and became leader in September, 2014.
Councillor Stewart is also a director of Swansea Business Improvement District, the Swansea Stadium Management Company, and a member of the Swansea Bay City Region where he has led the regeneration of Swansea city centre and the Swansea City Deal.
Gower MP - Tonia Antoniazzi
Born and raised in Llanelli by a Welsh mother and a Welsh Italian father, Tonia was head of languages at Bryngwyn Comprehensive School in Llanelli, and is a former Wales women’s international rugby player.
She was elected MP for Gower at the 2017 general election, taking the seat from Conservative Byron Davies.
With five other Labour MPs, she resigned her frontbench seat in protest at the party’s Brexit position.
She campaigns for a second referendum on Brexit, and has called for a rethink on the legal status of cannabis.
Swansea West MP - Geraint Davies
Brought up in Cardiff, Geraint Davies is a former leader of Croydon Borough Council, and was MP for Croydon Central between 1997 and 2005.
He was elected MP for Swansea West, the city where his mother was born, in 2010.
He has called for a banning of fracking in the UK, proposed a bill which led to the banning of ‘revenge porn’, and is a fevernet Remainer, claiming Brexit could lead to the loss of thousands of jobs across the Swansea Bay region.
Swansea East MP - Carolyn Harris
The MP for Swansea East since 2015 is also the deputy leader of Welsh Labour, and a shadow Home Office minister.
She has led successful campaigns in Parliament, including the setting up of a Children’s Funeral Fund to cover the cost of funerals for parents whose children die, and the reduction in the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals.
She has also focused on the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon and electrification of the south Wales rail mainline to Swansea.
Swansea West AM - Julie James
Elected AM in 2011, before which she worked as a policy lawyer with the London Borough of Camden, and as assistant chief executive at Swansea Council.
Mrs James has sat on several committees, and in 2014 she was appointed Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, and in 2017 she was promoted to the cabinet as leader of the house, and chief whip.
Swansea East AM - Mike Hedges
Mr Hedges was originally a research scientist for British Steel at Port Talbot, and spent 27 years as a lecturer in Pontypridd teaching computing.
He was elected councillor for the Morriston ward in 1989 and held the position until 2012, during which time he served a number of positions including council leader.
He was also a non-executive director of Swansea NHS trust between 1999 and 2005.
