Ultimo chief Mone honoured in New Year Honours

Michelle Mone, the head of underwear brand Ultimo has received an OBE in the New Year Honours announced today. The 38 year old Glaswegian who founded MJM in 1996 is the highest profile business leader who receives recognition in this years honours list.

You can read more about how Michelle built MJM, founded almost by accident, in our recent interview with her here.

Other honours were awarded to Parmajit Bassi, Chairman of private investment company Bond Wolfe, who receives a CBE for services to Business and to the Community in the West Midlands. He is an acknowledged role-model for aspiring entrepreneurs who has encouraged inclusion into the business community of other British Sikhs and there is a CBE for Dr George Daniels, Master Watchmaker from the Isle of Man, who has had a monumental influence on world horology. Examples of his work are displayed in the British Museum.

Helen Fraser, former managing director of Penguin UK also receives a CBE, along with Lucian Grainge, the chairman and chief executive of Universal Music Group International and Rodney Cousens, the chief executive of Codemasters, one of the leading computer games developers in the country, making games for Wii and PlayStation.

There is an OBE for Woon Yip, founder of the UK’s foremost importer of oriental foodstuffs. He is also a generous benefactor of charities and community projects.


Nigel Kershaw

OBEs also go to Big Issue chairman Nigel Kershaw, Café Spice Namasté chief executive Cyrus Todiwala, fashion designer Amanda Wakeley


Amanda Wakeley

There are MBEs for a wide variety of people, including for Ian Millar, an innovative sheep and arable farmer in Scotland who has worked for the benefit of the livestock industry as a whole. Rose Gray and Lady Rogers, the Co-Founders of the River Café and leading figures in the London restaurant scene also receive MBEs as does Cath Kidston, one of the most influential and original designers to emerge from the UK in recent years.

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