East Midlands luminaries recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours List
A raft of private and public sector leaders from across the East Midlands have been named in HM The Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours List 2022, including the founder of one of the UK’s best known lifestyle brands and the CEO of Nottingham Playhouse.
Recipients have been awarded for their outstanding contributions across all sectors, but in particular for sustained public service, the environment and sustainability and youth engagement.
Nottingham Playhouse CEO Stephanie Sirr, who has run venues for 25 years and acts as president of UK theatre, has been made an MBE for services to the arts.
She said: “I am really honoured to receive an MBE. It underlines how fortunate I have been to work alongside some really brilliant people over many years. This has enabled some transformative creative work to happen in and for the many communities I have been privileged to serve.”
Jacqueline Sutton, lately chief customer officer for civil aerospace at Rolls-Royce, has been awarded the MBE for services to the economy, while Diane Vernon, founder and CEO of EmployabilityUK – who is based in Leicestershire – receives the honour for services to disadvantaged young people.
Professor Rachel Gomes, professor of water and resource processing in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham, has been made an MBE for services to research and education.
She said: “I am delighted to be recognised and very grateful to those who nominated me – this has come as a huge surprise! I am very fortunate to work with colleagues from many disciplines and communities, and together we seek to deliver impact in research and education at the local, national and international scale. Thank you to the University of Nottingham and Papplewick Pumping Station, as well as organisations in the UK, India, Mexico and Ghana.”
Tom Joule, founder and chief brand officer at listed lifestyle retailer Joules, has been handed an OBE for services to business and the community in Leicestershire.
Susan Whelan, CEO of Leicester City FC, receives an OBE for services to football, the East Midlands economy and the wider community in Leicester.
Ioannis Kerestentzopoulos Koursis, the Leicester-based principal and CEO of Barnsley College, also receives the honour for services to further education.
David Hughes, CEO at the Association of Colleges (services to further education, particularly during the Covid-19 response); Gemma Pearce, lately non-executive director at the Coal Authority (services to innovation and diversity) and Paul Stein, chairman of the Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor Consortium (services to the economy) all receive the CBE.
Kristine Green, director of Grimsby Town Football Club and chair of the Mariners Trust, has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to football in North East Lincolnshire.
