Diversity champion Susan Vinnicombe was among the stalwarts of industry and business rewarded in this year’s New Year’s Honours.
Vinnicombe, professor of organisational behaviour at Cranfield School of Management, was made an OBE for her “services to diversity”.
Other notables rewarded for their efforts included CBI director general Digby Jones, who was knighted and Richard Bowker, chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority, who received a CBE.
A gong was also in line for Dixons chief executive John Clare, who was made a CBE.
NatWest chief executive Derek Wanless, who also recently authored a report on the future of the NHS, was knighted.
Other knighthoods went to John Vickers, chairman of the Office of Fair Trading, Alan Jones, UK chairman of Toyota and Mervyn Pedelty, newly retired chief executive of Co-operative Financial Services.
Sir Mervyn is also a member of the Government’s taskforce examining solutions to the country’s pensions’ crisis.