The honoured exporters represent a diverse range of businesses, from sourcing PPE for the pandemic, green energy, trade policy negotiations and to services exports in the creative industry.

Yesterday, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss MP congratulated UK exporters, business leaders and DIT staff who had been recognised with Honours for their exceptional and outstanding service to international trade, investment, and exporting. The New Year’s Honours List also recognised the work and dedication undertaken by those who worked during the pandemic to keep the UK safe.

Exporters and business leaders in the New Year’s Honours List 2021 include:

• Kirsty Hamilton; Associate Fellow, Chatham House (OBE)
• Stuart Paul Gibbons; Managing Director, Le Mark Group (OBE)
• Sharon Pursey; Co-Founder, SafeToNet (OBE)
• Steve Crane; Chief Executive Officer, business Link Japan and Executive Director of Export to Japan (OBE)
• Matthew Hurn; Chief Financial Officer, Mubadala Investment Company, Chairman, Association of Corporate Treasurers, Middle East (OBE)
• Ella Spira, Co-founder, Sisters Grimm (MBE)
• Piertra Mello-Pittman, Co-Founder, Sisters Grimm (MBE)
• Laura Bounds, Managing Director, Kent Crisps (MBE)
• Manoj Varsani, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Hammock (MBE)
• Paul Jonathan Morris, Founder and Chief Executive Addmaster UK Limited (MBE)
• Zoe Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Sparkol (MBE)
• Daniel Leigh Brooks, Chief Executive Officer, Virtual Human Resources (MBE)

Staff from the Department for International Trade (DIT) have also been recognised in the 2021 New Year Honours list, including:

• Matthew Davies; Deputy Director, Trade Agreements Continuity Programme (OBE)
• Deborah Clarke; Country Director, Department for International Trade Malaysia (OBE)
• Ruchi Nanda – Lately Account Manager, Trade, Investment and Business Support (MBE)
• Jasmine Baker – Head of Insurance and Asset Management British Embassy Beijing (MBE)
• Chris Dunn – Head of Infrastructure and Environment (China), Energy, Infrastructure, Creative and Sports Directorate (MBE)

Exporters recognised in this list include Laura Claire Bounds, who manages three businesses: Kent Crisps, Kentish Oils and Kentish Condiments. Her businesses already export to twelve countries around the world, including in the Middle East. Laura started exporting in 2015 and has worked tirelessly with DIT in getting the brand into overseas markets, particularly in Asia.

“It is an honour to be recognised not only in contributing to the creative industry but also for services to international trade,”  Pietra Marie De Mello-Pittman and Ella Louvaine Spira, Co-founders of Sisters Grimm, said in a statement. “As female founders from mixed heritage backgrounds, we have had to overcome challenges to not only create a business model around the arts, but to be recognised as internationalists.”

“The impact that the arts can have on society should never be undervalued – they allow people to make sense of their emotions in a space they often don’t give themselves,” the founders of Sisters Grimm added. “In these dark and difficult times for live entertainment we mustn’t lose sight of how the arts have the ability to join people together.”

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