Midlands business figures feature in New Year’s Honours

A NUMBER of West Midlands business figures have been rewarded in the New Year’s Honours List.

Judith Kirkland, CEO of social enterprise Business Enterprise Support, has been given an OBE for services to business and enterprise in Staffordshire, whilst Stratford-based Paul Tennant, CEO of housing association group Orbit, has been awarded an OBE for services to housing.

Nasir Awan, CEO of Awan Marketing International, receives an MBE for services to business and international trade.

He is chairman of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) in Birmingham Its vice-president Aftab Chughtai also received an MBE, for services to business and community relations in Birmingham.

Jaguar Land Rover apprentice manager Ian Eva picks up an MBE for services to vocational education.

Arnold Kaplan receives an MBE for charitable services, especially the Gentlemen’s Night Out, while Ros Kerslake, who formerly headed up Sandwell urban regeneration company Regenco, receives an OBE for services to British heritage. She is now chief executive of the Prince’s Regeneration Trust.

Professor Charles Craddock, a consultant haematologist at the QE hospital in Birmingham and one of those leading the fight against leukaemia, receives an OBE for services to medicine and medical research.

Meanwhile, John Woodward, who founded the Lichfield-based Busy Bees nursery group, has been presented with his OBE medal for services to childcare and education.