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Saturday 31 December 2016 1:04 pm

New Year’s honours 2017: The full rundown of the business community’s representatives on this year’s list

By: Joe Hall

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The British business community was well represented on the New Years honours list, with entrepreneurs and executives featuring prominently amongst the more than 100 figures recognised for services to the industry and economy.

Here's a run down of some the most notable business names who received the official seal of approval this year.

Read more: Arise, Dame Inga – Lloyd's of London boss Inga Beale has been awarded a damehood

Ian Powell – Former PwC boss, current Capita chairman


Powell (r) with actor Kevin Spacer (Source: Getty)

Knighthood – for services to professional services and voluntary services

Following eight years as chairman of accountancy giant PwC, Powell left the group after a nearly four decade-long association earlier this year to head up UK outsourcing firm Capita.

While at PwC he was noted for working to raise diversity and mobility levels within the company and was behind the company's decision to sponsor the 2014 Invictus Games, the international Paralympic-style event for wounded veterans.

Read more: Ian Powell – Why transparency over pay is vital if we’re to reach gender equality

Inga Beale – Lloyd's of London chief exec

​
(Source: Getty)

Damehood – for services to the economy

Beale became the first female chief executive of Lloyd's in its 328-year history in 2014 and uses her status as one of the most high-profile LGBT figures in the city to campaign for the community's rights in the workplace.

She was included in Morning Wire's Power 100 list earlier this year.

John van Reenan – Economist

​
(Source: YouTube.com/RoyalEconomicSociety)

OBE – for services to economics and public policy making

Economist John van Reenen is the director of the London School of Economics' Centre for Economic Performace. 

Ahead of the EU referendum, he warned that Brexit could cost family incomes up to £6,400 a year.

Anya Hindmarch – Fashion Entrepreneur 


(Source: Getty)

OBE – for services to fashion

Founder of her own eponymous luxury fashion brand now worth £70m, Hindmarch was first awarded a CBE in 2009.

Read more: Anya Hindmarch – “I fire myself at the end of each working day”

Don McCarthy – Retail businessman


(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

CBE – for services to business and philanthropy

Don McCarthy left school at 16 and worked his way up from assistant in a footwear shop to executive chairman of House of Fraser in 2006, a role he occupied until the department store's sale to Chinese ownership in 2014.

Last year he donated £1.5m to the Royal Marsden cancer hospital in memory of his late wife who died in 2007.

Will Dean – Tough Mudder founder

Read more: Meet Will Dean, the Brit who managed to tough it out in unfamiliar territory

MBE – for services to charitable giving through sport

At 36, Tough Mudder chief Will Dean is one of the youngest representatives from the business community in this year's list. His obstacle course events business may be similarly green but since launching in 2010 more than 2.5m have tackled the mud swamps and climbing frames, helping the company reach revenues in excess of $100m.

Hazel Moore – Banker

OBE – for services to entrepreneurship and innovation

Hazel Moore is the co-founder and chair of the First Capital Corporation, an investment bank that specialises in mergers and acquisitions.

Justine Roberts – Mumsnet boss


(Source: Getty)

OBE – for services to the economy

The founder and chief executive of the Mumsnet and Gransnet forums, Justine Roberts has been described as one of the world's most powerful CEOs, such is the size of the websites' active audience.

Simon Walker – IoD director


(Source: IoD)

CBE – for services to business and the economy

The director-general of business lobby group the Institute of Directors, Simon Walker was previously communications secretary to the Queen.

Since joining the IoD he has been prepared to speak out against perceived poor corporate behaviour, calling on companies such as Sports Direct to take steps to improve their governance.

 

Josh Littlejohn – Entrepreneur and philanthropist

​

​OBE – for services to social enterprise and entrepreneurship in Scotland

Littlejohn is the co-founder of "Social Bite", the sandwich shop that allows customers to buy a "suspended coffee or sandwich" for homeless people to claim later. The project has received support from high-profile celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney.

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