Cabinet Office
British business leaders, exporters and Department for Business and Trade staff are among the names being awarded for their exceptional service to business, trade, investment, and exports.
Those honoured have proudly flown the British flag and represent a diverse range of businesses and business leaders who have championed a range of our world-leading sectors.
Business leaders and volunteers recognised in the 2023 Birthday Honours list include:
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- Ann Bentley, Global Board Member, Rider Levett Bucknall. For services to Construction.
- Michael Cherry, Lately Chair, Federation of Small Businesses. For services to Business and to International Trade.
- Damian Hopkins, Founder, The Radius Group. For services to the Retail Industry.
- Phillip ODell, Lately Director of Flight Operations and Chief Test Pilot, Rolls-Royce. For services to UK aviation.
- Gary Shaughnessy, Chair, Z Zurich Foundation and Parkinsons UK. For services to Business and to Charity.
- Stephen Welton, Founder and Chair, BGF. For services to Small Businesses and to Entrepreneurship.
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
- Nicholas Baveystock DL, Director General and Secretary, Institution of Civil Engineers. For services to Engineering.
- Kevin Byrne, Founder, Checkatrade.com. For services to industry and Consumer Protection.
- Anuj Chande, Partner, Grant Thornton. For services to International Trade and Investment.
- Andrew Churchill FREng, Executive Chairman, JJ Churchill Ltd. For services to Engineering.
- Frances Dickens, Founder and Chair, Astus Group. For services to Media Trading.
- Elizabeth Nol Harwerth, Chair UK Export Finance. For services to International Trade.
- Amar Latif, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Traveleyes. For services to the Visually Impaired and to Entrepreneurship.
- Richard Paxman, Chief Executive Officer, Paxman Coolers Limited. For services to International Trade.
- Kevin Taylor, Chair, Industrial Development Advisory Board. For services to Business and to the Economy.
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- Professor David Cooper. For services to Lift and Escalator Engineering.
- Professor Philip Dickens, Founder, Added Scientific. For services to the Additive Manufacturing Sector.
- Caroline Hamilton, Chief Executive, Safety Assessment Federation. For services to Business and to Engineering.
- Dennis Mardon, Chair, Citizens Advice Exeter, for services to Vulnerable People in Exeter, Devon.
- Christine Payne, Lately General Secretary, Equity. For services to the Trade Union Movement.
- Hina Solanki, Founder, Sol Cosmedics. For services to Business and to Charity.
- Sandra Strong, Chair, Customs and Export Licensing Committee, British Exporters Association. For services to British Exporters.
- Penelope Taylor, Head, Newark College and Air and Space Institue. For services to Skills and Employment in Newark and Sherwood, Nottinghamshire.
- David Williams DL, Vice Chair, D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and Chairman, Geldards LLP. For services to Business and to the Economy in Derbyshire Nottinghamshire.
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
- Elizabeth Baitson, Founder, High Net Connect. For services to Business and to Entrepreneurs.
- Balbir Kaur Dhillon, Postmaster. For services to the community in Birchwood, Cheshire.
- Kuldeep Singh Dhillon, Postmaster. For services to the community in Birchwood, Cheshire.
- Jennifer Didcote, Postmaster. For services to the community in Bishops Cleeve, Gloucestershire.
- Dorothy Kay, Volunteer, Citizens Advice, Elmbridge West. For services to Employment Advice.
- Virendra Patel, Technical Support Partner, John Lewis and Partners. For services to the community in Hampshire.
Staff from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) recognised in the 2023 Birthday Honours List include:
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- Gordon Welsh, Lately Head of Business Group, UK Export Finance.
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
- Charlotte Heyes, Chief Negotiator and Deputy Director, Trade Negotiations Group.
- Ryan Sinclair, Assistant Head.
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- Jacqueline Griffiths, Senior Policy Advisor.
- Sandra Stephenson, Head of Personnel Security.
- Robin Sykes, Lately Head of Import Controls.
Some of the recognised recipients include:
1. Michael Cherry awarded a CBE for services to for services to business and to international trade.
For over 20 years Michael has been a passionate advocate for international trade and the benefits it can bring to the economy. Serving 2 full terms (6 years) as Federation of Small Businesses National Chair, the first Chair to do this, Michael has also worked hard to ensure that the voice of smaller firms is heard in the national conversation on small business. Michael has also worked to promote the advantages of international trade to UK small firms in support of the Global Britain agenda. This has included speaking at the UK-Japan Free Trade Summit on the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and at the Australian High Commission in support of negotiations for a UK-Australia FTA. Furthermore, Mike has been a committed advocate for UK trade policy in the national and international media, highlighting the massive interest amongst the UKs over 500,000 small exporters in concluding FTAs with Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and others.
Michael Cherry CBE, Lately Chair, Federation of Small Businesses said:
I am hugely honoured and obviously delighted to have been put forward for this award, and my thanks to everyone who gave me their support in what we did for businesses and international trade during the time I was privileged to be National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, as well as my congratulations to everyone else recognised in this years Birthday Honours.
Small businesses make up the vast majority of the businesses across all parts of the UK and deserve more of our support, especially after the difficulties of the last few years, in looking at the opportunities overseas markets present for them to grow and develop their businesses.
2. Elizabeth Nol Harweth awarded an OBE for services to international trade.
In her role as chair of UKEF, Nol has helped build UKEF from a transactional agency focused on serving few exporters into one of the leading export finance groups in the world while managing risk to a significantly low level. She has built the organization into one of the leading export finance groups in the world, serving hundreds of businesses and projects. Furthermore, Nols leadership of the Board at UKEF has contributed to record amounts of support for UK exporters. Nol is the first female Chair of UK Export Finance, and she has consistently championed diversity and inclusion. Nol is deeply committed to public service and to strengthening civil society and she has been very committed to promoting womens leadership and equality. Nol founded the Womens Corporate Directors chapter in the UK and continues to chair that group. Plus, having joined the International Womens Forum approximately 20 years ago, she remains an active member.
Elizabeth Nol Harweth OBE, Chair of UK Export Finance said:
To be awarded an OBE for services to international trade is a great privilege. UK Export Finance has become one of the worlds leading Export Credit Agencies due to the vision and hard work of our dedicated public servants. We are proud to support Great Britains exporters, whose goods and services improve the lives of millions around the world.
3. Amar Latif awarded an OBE for services to the visually impaired and entrepreneurship.
Having lost his sight in his teens, Amar has set the bar extremely high to prove to himself, and to encourage many others around the world, that blindness is no impediment to achieving what you desire. He has done this in entrepreneurship, motivational speaking and appearances in a range of TV programmes. Having held the post of Finance Director in the Leeds office of BT, he created Traveleyes in 2004, a company specialising in bespoke holidays around the world for the visually impaired. Traveleyes was voted Best Assisted/Accessible Holiday Company at the British Travel Awards in 2019 and 2020. Named by The Chamber of Commerce International as The Outstanding Young Business Entrepreneur of the World, he received the first-ever Stelios Disabled Entrepreneur Award from Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou of EasyJet, run by the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability. He was named Alumnus of the Year by the University of Strathclyde.
Amar Latif OBE, Founder and CEO of Traveleyes said:
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