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New Year Honours List 2025: High Awards (HTML)

Published 30 December 2024

COMPANION OF HONOUR

SIR KAZUO ISHIGURO

A Japanese-born British novelist, screenwriter, musician, and short story writer, who has been nominated for the Booker Prize four times, winning in 1989 for his novel The Remains of the Day. Time magazine named Never Let Me Go as the best novel of 2005 and one of the 100 best English-language novels published between 1923 and 2005. In 2017, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. His eighth novel, Klara and the Sun, was published by Faber and Faber on 2 March 2021, and longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize. He has co-written several songs for the jazz singer Stacey Kent with saxophonist Jim Tomlinson, as well as two original screenplays for Channel 4. He adapted the screenplay for the 2022 British film Living from the 1952 Japanese film Ikiru, and in 2023, Living was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Adapted Screenplay category.

DAME AND KNIGHT GRAND CROSS OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (GBE)

DAME JACQUELINE WILSON DBE

As a children’s author, she has written over 100 bestselling books, selling over 40 million copies in the UK. From 2014 - 2020 she was appointed Chancellor of the University of Roehampton and was elected an honorary fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 2012. She has won the Smarties Prize and the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, received the Special Award at the BAFTA Children’s Awards in 2017, and was a UK nominee for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2014. As the Children’s Laureate, she was on the judging panels for the Orange Prize for Fiction and the Prince Maurice Prize, and on the Whitbread Award Advisory panel. She also works with the RNIB with their Right to Read campaign. She is a patron of Seven Stories in Newcastle upon Tyne, and of Chatterbooks, a national network of book clubs set up in libraries and schools. She is a Stop MS Pioneer and has a history of involvement with Coram, the UK’s first children’s charity. She is a Patron for both Momentum, a charity aiming to help children undergoing treatment for cancer in Surrey and Greater London and for East Sussex Foster Care Association. She is currently an Ambassador for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

PROFESSOR SIR LESZEK BORYSIEWICZ FRS, FRCP, FMEDSCI

As Chair of Cancer Research UK (CRUK), he played a leading role in championing cancer research and innovation. He continues to be a pivotal figure in the UK medical, academic and clinical cancer research community and inspires leaders and philanthropists to support the life-saving work of CRUK. During the Covid epidemic he worked with the CEO to develop an emergency budget and strategy while urging the charity to think ambitiously about the future. This resulted in CRUK’s new 10-year sustainable research and financial strategy. His research interests have led him to play a critical role in CRUK’s 20-year plan to improve cervical cancer rates in the UK and around the world. Previously, as Vice Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, he oversaw the expansion of the biomedical campus, research facilities, philanthropy and major international collaborations.

DAME COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF THE BATH (DCB)

TAMARA MARGARET FINKELSTEIN CB

She has dedicated her entire 32 year career to public service, culminating in her leadership of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). She has led DEFRA’s transformation into a major delivery organisation guiding it through EU exit and Covid. In total, she has worked in six government departments, including 20 years in HM Treasury as an Economist and Policy Advisor. She is a senior sponsor of the Civil Service Jewish Network, Head of the Government Policy Profession, member of the State Honours Committee and Cabinet Office Champion of the Civil Service Delivery for Citizens Awards. She is also a member of the Civil Service Board, Government Reform Board, the Senior Leadership Committee and Chair of the Plan for London Board.

KNIGHT COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF THE BATH (KCB)

KEN MCCALLUM 

He became Director General in 2020 during the early stages of the Covid pandemic, adapting MI5 to maintain national security work. Post pandemic, he led MI5 through a period of unprecedented threat, contending with both a sustained high threat from terrorism and an escalation in threats from nation states, notably from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, and increased assassination threats from Iran. He has focussed on the opportunities and risks presented by fast-evolving technology; and has used his profile to champion inclusion and diversity, with MI5 exceeding recruitment targets from minority communities, including lower socio-economic backgrounds.

DAME COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (DBE)

PROFESSOR STEPHANIE ANNE AMIEL (LADY STEPHANIE ALBERTI)

She was pivotal in developing the Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE) patient education programme, reducing diabetes emergencies and cost of emergency care by more than 60% leading to a cost-effective standard of care across the UK, Ireland and internationally. She introduced islet transplantation to the NHS to treat those with type 1 diabetes and severe hypoglycaemia making King’s the first centre in the UK successfully transplanting a patient in the national programme. Her leadership of the diabetes centre at King’s College Hospital has made it an internationally recognised centre of excellence including the focus on the interaction between mental and physical health in diabetes. Her work on the impact of ethnicity has illuminated aspects of diabetes care in minority groups, with a focus on African and Caribbean communities in London. She has chaired the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) type 1 diabetes guideline development group shaping the current delivery of diabetes care in the 21st century.

PROFESSOR JULIA CLARE BUCKINGHAM CBE

She is Chair of the Institute of Cancer Research and most recently, of the NC3Rs.  Her work in establishing the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Centre on Brunel campus, together with other outreach activities benefitted thousands of school children. As President of UUK, she has shaped national policy debates on critical matters such as student mental health, equality, researcher career development and research policy. Her engagement in HE delegations overseas enhanced the global reputation of UK higher education and advanced the sector on an international stage. As a leader within STEM, she has supported the careers of women and ethnic minorities; as Chair of the Concordat Strategy Group and Chair of the Athena SWAN Review Steering Group, she has contributed to lasting enhancements in equality, career development and research culture.

PROFESSOR ALISON MARY ETHERIDGE OBE

Alison is an internationally leading probabilist, a passionate advocate and leader of the mathematical sciences community. She is a prominent and dedicated researcher working across the boundary of mathematics and other disciplines to address real world challenges. She is President of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences and uses this role to drive forward the need for mathematical thinking and skills to overcome major global challenges including the Covid-19 pandemic. She is a fellow of the Royal Society and an elected member of the Council for the Royal Society, where she supports the Society to meet its strategic priorities and elect fellows. She recognised the impact of Athena Swan, the national gender equality charter, and realised that locally led race equality practice would be helpful.

PROFESSOR ALISON MARGARET FULLER

During her tenure as Pro-Director of the UCL’s Institute of Education (IOE) from 2014 to 2021, the institute prospered with 400 academics and 700 doctoral students. Her theorisations of apprenticeships championed the ‘expansive’ workplace learning approach empowering learners and employers across diverse sectors. She contributed to the transformation of nursing education through the project ‘Creating Learning Environments for Compassionate Care’, improving staff well-being and elevating patient care within the NHS. As the founding Chair of the UCL Collaborative Social Science Domain, she encouraged cross-disciplinary research to tackle complex societal problems, ensuring rigorous standards and fostering global discourse on workplace learning. She contributes to esteemed research funders’ peer review panels, is a trusted advisor to critical bodies including the DfE Technical Education Research Reference Group. Her insights directly impact learners, educators, and institutions through informed policy recommendations. She is appointed Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and Member of the Academia Europaea.

MARIE SYLVIA GABRIEL CBE

Dedicating her 45 year career and voluntary endeavours to further equity and social justice, she is the founding Chair of NHS North East London Integrated Care system, convening her London colleagues to publicly commit to being anti-racist, having a direct impact on 30% of the London workforce and 46% of Londoners who are BAME. In 2021 she was appointed founding Chair of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, chairing a Board of world-renowned experts, enabling work to tackle racial bias in health and care. By forging new partnerships between Integrated Care Systems and the Institute of Healthcare Improvement she enabled an international model of anti-racist health improvement focused on the tackling of ethnic inequalities in maternal and neonatal outcomes. She was recognised by the Premier League by her inclusion in their 2020 Black Power List for promoting good health with and amongst underserved communities.

LINDA RUTH HEGGS (RUTH CAIRNIE)

She is the first female Chair in Babcock International Group’s 130-year history and was the first woman to chair a major UK defence company. Since 2019, she has improved the Board’s processes and culture and moved sustainability to the forefront. Her leadership of Babcock has overseen the stabilisation of the company delivering double-digit organic growth, strong cash performance and a substantial reduction in debt. Outside of Babcock, she has been active as Commissioner on the Covid Recovery Commission. She was Chair of POWERful Women from 2015 to 2022 and was appointed Chair of the Remuneration Committee at BT in 2023. She is a trustee of the White Ensign Association, Industry Patron of the UK Women in Defence Charter and was until recently a trustee of Windsor Leadership.

THE RT HON. PATRICIA HOPE HEWITT

From her time as Secretary of State for Health through to her current role as Chair of NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board, she has brought about real and meaningful change that has improved the health of the population. As Secretary of State, she introduced the smoking ban, which has had a significant impact on the health of our nation - ten years after the ban there had been a 20.8 per cent drop in the number of smokers aged 35 and over dying from heart attacks and other cardiac conditions. She is a leader in the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System as well as for all systems across England and her views are regularly sought by Government ministers, MPs, NHS England and colleagues from across the country.

Her recent national review of Integrated Care Systems on behalf of the Government and the findings of her review will continue to inform national policy and local action in the years to come.

NICOLE ALISON JACOBS

Her commitment to ending domestic abuse and violence against women and girls has had a direct effect on improving society’s response. As Chief Executive Officer of Standing Together Against Domestic Violence, she built strong partnerships and as a founding member of the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance, she has created national change in the housing sector, giving survivors access to a wider range of housing options garnering international interest. Appointed as the first Domestic Abuse Commissioner designate for England and Wales in 2019, she responded quickly to the pandemic in 2020, representing voices from helplines and charities into government on the many ways victim-survivors were affected. Following the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, legislation which she helped to shape, she has continued to innovate in Domestic Abuse policy and practice.

CAROLINE MICHEL

Since 2007, she has been both the CEO of literary and talent agency Peters Fraser and Dunlop (PFD) and has served as Chair and previously Trustee of Hay Literary festival. She is also Chair of the BFI Trust, a Fellow of the RSA and Vice President of the London Library. As a literary agent she has represented and championed such luminaries as Jeanette Winterson, Simon Schama, Edna O’Brien, Rose Tremain, Danielle Steel, Ruthie Rogers, Twiggy, Michael Caine and Melvyn Bragg. She has served on boards as varied as the BFI, Somerset House, Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year and the Harpers’ Bazaar Short Story Competition. She has been a member of the Arts and Media Honours Committee, the Booker Prize Advisory Committee and the Chairman’s Circle, Southbank Centre. She has been a particular champion of libraries and librarians, serving as a panel expert for Library Services at DCMS.

CARMEN ESME MUNROE OBE

She is a pioneering actress and advocate, and with a career that spans theatre, television, and film has opened doors for black actors across Britain. Co-founding the Talawa Theatre Company in 1986, she actively created spaces for Black narratives and talent to thrive, paving the way for a more inclusive and representative British theatre environment. Famed for her role in “Desmond’s,” she has offered audiences glimpses into varied aspects of life in London for Black families. Through years of advocacy and mentorship, she has elevated and nurtured Black talent within the UK. Her influence is ongoing, with her voice and actions continually contributing to forums, discussions, and initiatives aimed at ensuring that the momentum toward inclusivity and representation is maintained. 

BARBARA DAVIS RAE CBE

She is an artist whose work has been inspired by history, geography and geology often using landscape as a starting point. Her work reflects the influence of the human hand changing, marking and shaping the environment. The work has taken her to Arizona, Europe and recently four trips to the Arctic, exploring the NorthWest Passage in the footsteps of Franklin. The most recent journey was to the Antarctic to explore the story of Shackleton. Her creative output includes prints, tapestries, ceramics and a Royal Mail stamp issued in 2018. She is a member of the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Academy and exhibits regularly in these exhibitions and in solo exhibitions worldwide. She holds Honorary Doctorates from Napier, Aberdeen Universities and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of Architects in Scotland and Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Art. In 2013, she established a charitable trust, The Provost James Rae Trust, to provide financial support, residencies and exhibiting opportunities to mid and later career Scottish artists.

THE RT HON. EMILY THORNBERRY MP

She has been a Member of Parliament for nearing twenty years, making a significant contribution to UK politics in a series of high profile roles. A Labour Party member since her teenage years, she first stood for election in Canterbury in 2001, and was elected as the Member of Parliament for Islington South and Finsbury in 2005. Since then, she has been re-elected five times and has held the positions of Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Social Care and Employment as well as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, Exiting the European Union, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and International Trade. She has also served as Shadow First Secretary of State and Shadow Attorney General. She is particularly known for her enduring commitment to equal-pay as well as women’s and LGBT rights. 

PROFESSOR IJEOMA UCHEGBU

Her science is ground-breaking and her leadership and advocacy have been recognised by her election as President of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge a position she has now taken up. Her career displays sustained scientific, academic, and innovative achievement of the highest order. She is an internationally renowned scientist who has dedicated her career to excellence in science and whose work spans the chemical, physical and biomedical sciences. Her pioneering and impactful work on the mechanisms of drug transport have led to the development of new treatments which promise to transform pain relief, including the enkephalin pain medicine candidate EnveltaÔ, designed to address the opioid crisis. She is an innovator, her company, Nanomerics Ltd is developing medicines that address sight threatening illnesses.

KNIGHTS BACHELOR

PROFESSOR BASHIR MOHAMMED ALI AL-HASHIMI CBE FREng FRS

He is internationally recognised by both academia and industry for his impactful contributions to energy-efficient computing and semiconductor chip design. His research has driven significant advancements in hardware and software technologies for digital electronic devices, including smartphones. Currently serving as Vice-President (Research & Innovation), at King’s College London, Bashir plays a pivotal role in shaping and implementing the university’s Research and Innovation Strategy. Over the course of his career, he has held numerous senior academic leadership positions within the UK higher education sector. Beyond his academic work, Bashir is committed to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers. As a trustee of several charitable organizations, he actively promotes science and engineering among young people. He is a regular contributor to national discussions on engineering education and skills development.

EDWARD CHARLES BRAHAM

He has made a significant contribution to the legal and financial services sectors. He was the Senior Partner of the global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP from 2016 to 2020, during which time he spearheaded its US expansion and the opening of its pioneering office in Silicon Valley. He was appointed as Non-Executive Chair of M&G plc in 2022 where he has continued his passion for business, overseeing a transformation and growth programme to give everyone real confidence to put their money to work. With a heritage dating back more than 175 years, M&G now manages money for 4.6 million retail customers and more than 900 institutional customers across 38 offices worldwide. With over £346bn assets under management, M&G has a proud history of supporting the progress of businesses and communities, investing in innovative companies to effect real world change and in private assets such as housing, hospitals and transport. He has played a significant role in the promotion of London as a leading international financial centre, as Chair of the TheCityUK’s International Trade Investment Group and as a Boardmember. He also serves as a non-executive member of the Board of HM Treasury.

STUART CARLTON

He was appointed Director of Children’s Services at North Yorkshire Council in July 2017 and under his leadership, it has improved significantly from an Ofsted rating Good to Outstanding by July 2018 and continues to be Outstanding in July 2023. This established them as a lead local authority in the Strengthening Families, Protecting Children’s programme which has since been rolled out to local authorities nationally. As an outstanding Sector Led Improvement Partner (SLIP) for over 10 years, many other local authorities have cited the significant role of SLIP in driving improvement in their services. Consequently, fewer young people are entering the care system, and more are accommodated in a family setting. He was also a core member of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, contributing to a new national framework based on his work in North Yorkshire.

ANDREW COOKE QPM DL

Chief Constable of Merseyside Police from 2016-21, he led the biggest reorganisation in the force’s history, concentrating on improving impact on community safety, becoming the best performing metropolitan force. He influenced national policy on combating serious and organised crime and transformed witness protection in the UK through the introduction of the United Kingdom Protected Persons Service. He became H.M. Chief Inspector in April 2022 and galvanised far-reaching reform in policing and fire services to restore and improve public confidence. He oversaw two watershed inspections, leading to improvements to vetting, misconduct and culture being undertaken at a record pace by chief officers. He influenced police chiefs to commit nationally to permanently attend all home burglaries and has been resolute and courageous in his decision making in respect of policing improvement for the benefit of communities.

PROFESSOR JACK MARTIN CUZICK CBE FRS

His ground-breaking research on breast cancer first showed that women receiving tamoxifen had a reduced risk of contralateral cancers, long term recurrence and even the risk of developing breast cancer in women at elevated risk. He has also identified groups of women at high risk of breast cancer through the Tyrer-Cuzick model which  is widely used in family history service. His seminal work has led to major improvements in prevention and screening of cervical cancer. He led the first trial comparing HPV testing with conventional cytology for screening. This has led to primary HPV testing being widely used in the UK and elsewhere and his recent studies of self-sampling are likely to lead to increased uptake of screening amongst unscreened women. He has led analysis of the use of flexible sigmoidoscopy for bowel cancer screening and breast cancer trial meta-analyses. Since 2017, he has continued his prolific output of internationally recognised research, with a further 170 papers published out of a lifetime total of over 700.

THOMAS GERALD REAMES DAVIES CBE DL

He has continued his outstanding contributions to rugby and voluntary sector work, as well as a remarkable variety of charitable causes and community projects. This has been exemplified with his appointments to high level roles both in Wales and internationally, including President of the Welsh Rugby Union, World Rugby Council Member and manager of the British and Irish Lions for their tour to South Africa in 2009. He has also made time for multiple grassroot fundraising campaigns, including  becoming a founding member and fundraiser for the Usk Rural Life Museum in 2010, patron and ambassador of the St David’s Life Boat Station in 2014, alongside his continued fundraising efforts for the St David’s Penknife Club, trustee of the Barbarians and Welsh Rugby Charitable Trusts in 2004, and fundraiser for the former Ely Hospital. 

DAVID WARREN ARTHUR EAST  CBE FRS FREng

As the former Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce, he led the global power systems group from 2015 until 2022. He master-minded the Group’s net zero technology strategy, pivoting the company into new forms of growth and UK prosperity. He is committed to net zero and creating economic benefit. He championed and was a founding signatory of the UN Race to Zero (2020) and was a high-profile climate action advocate at COP26. His drive led to the first ever Rolls Royce roadmap to net zero by 2050. The economic impact during his tenure is impressive: modernisation of design and production tooling to double capacity within a consolidated footprint. The company continues to employ over 40,00 people and spend over £2 billion with over 2,000 UK companies. In 2021, products accounted for 1.5% of all UK goods exported with over 75% of what is produced in the UK exported and 90+% of employees employed outside of London and the South East. After leaving Rolls-Royce, alongside chairing NATS - essential UK infrastructure for air transport, he continues working to generate economic value with businesses focussed on net zero and climate change mitigation.

DR GABRIELE FINALDI

As Director of the National Gallery he has added to the Gallery’s material collection, most notably, through the acquisition of Artemisia Gentileschi’s self-portrait, boosting the Gallery’s limited holdings of work by female artists. He has enhanced the role the Gallery plays nationwide, in particular, through Masterpiece, a partnership arrangement with museums around the country; National Treasures, 12 exhibitions taking place this year across the UK; and the Visits programme, placing National Gallery paintings in unexpected locations. The National Gallery was the first major museum to introduce an ‘on demand’ offer during Covid, developing virtual exhibitions and Behind the Scenes videos. He has significantly reduced the Gallery’s dependence on public funds. He raised £95m for the transformation of the main entrance of the Sainsbury Wing and the Gallery’s education, research and membership facilities.

STEPHEN FRY

He is one of Britain’s most highly regarded public figures. As President of Mind, he has campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness and encourage conversations about mental health. In particular, he has devoted much time and effort in generating awareness of bipolar disorder, using his public platform to speak candidly about his own journey, undermining the taboo that has prevented many from seeking support.

Since 1991, he has been involved with the Terrence Higgins Trust, raising awareness and funds for people living with HIV and AIDS. He served as President of the charity’s Friends network for nearly 20 years and hosted their annual gala, raising over £7m. Since 2009, he has been the Vice-President of Fauna and Flora International and since 1997, a patron of the charity Missing Persons.

THE RT HON. NICOLAS GIBB

He introduced a phonics screening check in 2012. By 2019, after schools adopted his approach, 82% were at or above the expected standard. He championed phonics globally and England is now ranked 4th globally in the latest PIRLS international study of reading. He also brought in the EBacc performance measure to ensure that all children can receive the type of academic curriculum typically restricted to pupils from more privileged backgrounds. He was fundamental in making GCSEs and A Levels more academically rigorous, preparing them for higher education and employment. He was also devoted to children being taught modern foreign languages and initiated the Mandarin Excellence Programme. He advocated for a number of initiatives including in teachers’ continuous professional development, teacher recruitment and retention, and teacher training. During Covid, he secured the successful distribution of 1.3 million laptops to disadvantaged pupils.

DR LOYD GROSSMAN CBE FRS

He has been the Chair of The Royal Parks (TRP) since its inception in 2017 and has

been integral to its success. He has expertly led a Board of Trustees in determining

TRP’s long-term strategy, setting ambitious goals for the environment and engaging people and investment in the historic landscapes under TRP’s care. He has been instrumental in driving philanthropic donations that have helped fund major projects including the £12m Greenwich Park Revealed. During the COVID lockdown, he ensured that all the Royal Parks remained open to visitors, proving essential to health and wellbeing at a time when many Londoners lacked access to open spaces. In his former role as Chair of the Churches Conservation Trust, he has helped to save 340 buildings which attract 2 million visitors per year. He was elected Chair of The Royal Society of Arts in October 2024.

ANDREW HAINES OBE

Since 2018, he has led Network Rail turning its performance on major project and infrastructure delivery around, driving a new focus on cost-control and making the £10bn TransPennine Route Upgrade an exemplar project. He successfully settled a major industrial relations dispute with the RMT, whilst also securing vital reforms to working practices and establishing a taskforce to improve safety for railway workers. He has ensured that NR is a leader on environmental issues, reducing energy use and carbon emissions by 12 and 24 per cent respectively. He has a deep belief in the wider role of the railway in the community, forging a partnership with the Samaritans to tackle suicides, and created the first pan-industry homelessness charter. He led work to establish the Windrush national memorial at Waterloo, and ensured NR provided critical aid to Ukraine to rebuild their railway. He is an ambassador for the Railway Children charity.

ALAN HOLLINGHURST

He is among Britain’s most highly-rated literary novelists, whose best-known book The Line of Beauty (2004), winner of that year’s Man Booker Prize, is a tour-de-force envisioning the Thatcher years as an era of doomed romance. His novels have played a major part in bringing LGBTQIA+ fiction into the British literary mainstream. He is admired for his elegance of style, casting a spell with elegiac reflections and social comedy summoning up the past as well as the urgency of the contemporary. His most recent novel, Our Evenings, was published in autumn 2024.

JEREMY MICHAEL ISAACS CBE 

He is Honorary Life Chair and donor at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice where, through his leadership, he has transformed it from a small, local charity into an admired and role-model organisation in children’s palliative care. Since 2009, he has grown the charity’s income from £600,000 to £7.6 million. Noah’s Ark now provides expert and compassionate palliative care for over 350 children who have a life-limiting or life-threatening condition, and their families. With his backing in 2010, the charity was able to identify and secure a plot of land in Barnet. He then found the right people to design a state-of-the-art purpose-built hospice. He led the fundraising campaign to build and help sustain The Ark, which totalled £13.5 million. 

THE RT HON. RANIL MALCOLM JAYAWARDENA PC

He was the Member of Parliament for North East Hampshire from 2015 to 2024.

During his tenure, he served as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister for International Trade and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. In government, he worked to protect global supply chains during Covid-19, negotiated new trade agreements and tackled water pollution. Locally, he improved infrastructure and secured fairer funding of public services, such as Health and Education, including for pupils with special educational needs. He previously served in local government, including as Deputy Leader of the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane, and has supported charities throughout his time in public service, such as Sasha’s Project, a charity to help young people facing mental health challenges.

THE RT. HON. MARCUS JONES PC

He has been a long-standing politician with over 19 years service in local and national government. He held his seat as Member of Parliament for Nuneaton for 14 years from 2010 to 2024, serving as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Government, Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party for Local Government, Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, Comptroller of the Household, Minister of State for Housing, Treasurer of the Household and Government Deputy Chief Whip during his tenure. He has been an Ambassador for The Federation of Small Businesses’ “Keep Trade Local” campaign as well as a campaign leader for the PFI Rebate campaign.

THE RT HON. SADIQ KHAN  

He has been the first person to win three terms as Mayor of London and previously served as Member of Parliament for Tooting from 2005 to 2016. As a Member of Parliament, he served as Minister of State for Transport, becoming the first Muslim to attend Cabinet, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Government Whip, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Shadow Minister for London, Shadow Lord Chancellor and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice. Since 2016, as Mayor of London, he has overseen the opening of new transport initiatives, including the Superloop, Elizabeth Line and Night Tube. He introduced the world’s largest clean-air zone and navigated the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 pandemic. 

DR JOHN WILFRED LAZAR CBE

He is an exceptional technology entrepreneur whose dedication to charitable service and inspirational leadership mark him out from his peers. As an angel investor he has made circa 50 investments, serving as investor and mentor for numerous startup companies and accelerators. He is also Co-founder at Enza Capital, a Nairobi-based investor for founders using technology to solve meaningful problems across Africa and runs multiple family projects. Since 2020, he has been Chair of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, promoting ‘digital making’ skills amongst disadvantaged young people.  His pro bono contributions to the Royal Academy of Engineering have been prodigious and the esteem in which he is held is reflected in his appointment as Academy President in September 2024 to succeed Sir Jim McDonald.

NOEL QUINN

He has had a 37-year career at HSBC including commercial banking leadership roles in Hong Kong and the UK and was appointed Group Chief Executive in March 2020. He also actively collaborates with His Majesty’s Government, supporting innovative solutions to advance its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) agenda. He is a non-executive director of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, founded by the King in 2020, and chaired its Financial Services Taskforce. The Task Force’s achievements include launching a guide to help banks consistently and transparently support clients’ transition to net-zero emissions, advancing the sector’s sustainability commitment. In 2021, he joined the Global Advisory Board for Out Leadership, a business advisory firm that partners with companies to foster a global community of LGBT+ and business leaders.

BRYAN KAYE SANDERSON CBE

During his time as Chair for the Low Pay Commission (LPC) from 2017 until 2023, he led an essential UK labour market institution through a period of unprecedented economic upheaval. His contributions were essential to the Government being able to deliver a key commitment for workers to end low pay. He fostered an inclusive working culture, creating the space for Commissioners representing different backgrounds to find common ground and worked to maintain stakeholder confidence in the Low Pay Commission. He also served as Chair to Florence Nightingale Foundation from 2008 to 2018, where he actively improved health services, clinical outcomes and patient experience through building nursing and midwifery leadership capacity and capability. 

GARETH SOUTHGATE OBE

He is a distinguished figure in English football, known for his significant contributions both as a player and as the manager of the England national team. He had a successful playing career and made over 500 club appearances and earned 57 caps for the England national team. Transitioning into management, Southgate began his coaching career with Middlesbrough and later took charge of the England Under-21 team. His success with the youth team led to his appointment as the manager of the senior England squad in 2016. Under his leadership, England achieved their best World Cup performance since 1990 by reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He further guided England to successive finals of the UEFA European Championships in 2021 and 2024, where they finished as runners-up. He is credited with fostering a positive team culture and emphasising the development of young talent.

ANDREW STREET CBE

As the first directly elected Mayor of the West Midlands, he has transformed the region, breaking down barriers and disrupting public sector delivery to secure better services, stronger growth and investment, and improving the reputation of the West Midlands region on both a national and international stage. He has led the combined authority to achieve a 62% reduction in the number of people sleeping rough across the West Midlands Combined Authority area, and negotiated a housing deal with the government that has delivered 12,000 jobs and 8,000 new homes since 2018. He was the driving force behind Birmingham being put forward as the Government’s preferred choice for the Commonwealth Games in 2022. The Games’ Business and Tourism Programme led by him resulted in record inward investment to the West Midlands, with Birmingham achieving the best results of any regional city ever in 2023.