Former HSBC boss Noel Quinn, ex-Rolls-Royce chief executive Warren East and Darktrace founder Poppy Gustafsson are among the business leaders handed gongs in the New Years’ Honours list.
Quinn has been knighted in recognition of his contribution ‘to financial services and net zero’.
The HSBC veteran, who worked for the bank for 37 years, shocked the City when he stepped down from the top job this year after taking the reins in 2020.
He oversaw a transformation of the lender that included cutting 35,000 jobs and propelling it to record profits last year.
And he fought off an attempt by Chinese insurer Ping An, a major shareholder, to break up the 159-year-old bank.
Announcing his retirement in April, Quinn, 62, said he would have a period of ‘rest and relaxation’ before moving to a portfolio career, which means taking up a number of directorships in boardrooms.
Cyber services: Poppy Gustafsson, who had already been awarded an OBE in 2019, was yesterday handed a CBE for ‘services to the cyber security industry’
East, who led Rolls-Royce for seven-and-a-half turbulent years, has been knighted for ‘services to the economy and to net zero’. He was awarded a CBE in 2014.
His tenure at the engineering firm included the Covid-19 pandemic, which dealt a hammer blow to the aircraft engine maker’s finances.
East, who was previously the chief executive of computer chipmaker Arm, also led the business through a major corruption investigation related to fraud that occurred before he joined.
The businessman, 63, quit in 2022, saying it was the right time for him to leave, as Rolls-Royce was at ‘an intersection point’.
Since then, he has been appointed chairman of UK air traffic services provider NATS and is on the board of semiconductor firm ASML.
Gustafsson, who was awarded an OBE in 2019, was yesterday handed a CBE for ‘services to the cyber security industry’.
She co-founded Cambridge-headquartered Darktrace, which uses artificial intelligence in software to protect organisations against online threats, in 2013.
Gustafsson began Darktrace following a two-year stint at Autonomy, the tech company led by the late British billionaire Mike Lynch.
She served as chief executive until September, when she stepped down ahead of a £4bn private equity takeover of the firm.
The following month, Gustafsson – one of the best-known figures in the UK technology sector – was appointed to Government as Minister for Investment.
Other City figures recognised in the annual awards include engineering firm Babcock’s chair Ruth Cairnie, who becomes a dame, and investment manager M&G’s chairman Edward Braham, who is being knighted. London Stock Exchange Group chairman Don Robert has been awarded a CBE.
Richard Price, managing director at Marks & Spencer where he oversees its clothing, home and beauty ranges, has been made an MBE.
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