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UK business leaders and innovators honoured in 2026 New Year honours list

December 30, 2025

The 2026 New Year Honours List has highlighted a broad cross-section of UK business leaders, rewarding contributions from high-growth sectors, corporate stewardship, entrepreneurship and efforts to widen business opportunity and investment.

While the honours system casts a wide net across public service, arts, charity and science, several recipients stand out for their direct impact on the UK’s economy and business landscape.

Banking, finance and corporate leadership

Gary Andrew Hoffman — CBE

Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to the economy and sport, Hoffman is Chair of Monzo Bank Holding Group and Monzo Bank Ltd. His stewardship comes amid a period of rapid evolution in digital banking and a renewed focus on customer trust and regulatory compliance in UK fintech.

Ian Graham King — CBE

Awarded a CBE in recognition of his role as Chief Executive Officer of BAE Systems and as Lead Non-Executive Director for the Department for Transport. King’s leadership at one of the UK’s largest defence and aerospace companies underscores the strategic importance of advanced manufacturing and technology-driven exports to the UK economy.

Entrepreneurship and small business champions

Jonathan Piers Daniel Linney — OBE

Honoured for his services to small business, entrepreneurs, investors, banking and diversity, Linney is the Executive Chair of Implement AI Ltd, a company at the intersection of technology adoption and SME scaling. His recognition reflects the growing profile of AI-enabled services in supporting UK startups and investment readiness.

Akin Onal — OBE

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MORI, Onal has been awarded for services to entrepreneurship. His work is widely associated with championing the UK’s start-up ecosystem and fostering inclusive paths to business growth.

Marie Sarah Owen — OBE

Owen, Founder and Chief Executive of LS Productions, was recognised for services to the creative industries and economic development, a nod to the increasingly significant role that creative and media businesses play in economic vibrancy and regional growth.

Sector leadership and industry bodies

Mark Bamforth — OBE

Executive Chairman of Kincell Bio and General Partner at Kineticos AMR Accelerator Fund, Bamforth received honours for services to UK life sciences and UK-US business relations. His cross-border work in biotech funding and strategic partnerships reflects the UK’s globalising innovation economy.

Alessandra Bellini — OBE

The past President of the Advertising Association, Bellini was recognised for her contributions to the advertising and marketing sector — industries that underpin UK creative exports and digital media growth.

Safaraz Ali — OBE

As Chief Executive Officer of Pathway Group, Ali has been honoured for his leadership in diversity and inclusion in business. This award highlights how equitable talent and board representation are increasingly prioritised within modern UK corporate culture.

Joanne Liddle — OBE

Managing Director of Industrial Precision Components Ltd, Liddle was recognised for services to the aerospace sector in Northern Ireland, a reminder of the critical role manufacturing expertise plays in regional economies and national supply chains.

Entrepreneurial legacy and scale-up impact

Richard David Harpin — Knight Bachelor

Knighted for his services to business, Harpin (pictured) is the founder and former CEO of HomeServe, a £4.1bn home assistance business that now employs around 9,000 people. His career embodies the scale-up journey from start-up founder to industry disruptor, and his recent work with policy on apprenticeships emphasises business’s role in workforce development.

What this year’s list highlights is both diversity of contribution and the newer nature of business impact in Britain: from tech and fintech to manufacturing and creative industries, the honourees span sectors that collectively shape economic resilience and future opportunity.

This years honours signal areas of growth and influence, and underscore how recognition at the national level often mirrors broader themes in business policy and investment.