Alumni recognised in 2020 New Year Honours list

Each year the New Year’s Honours list recognises the achievements and services of people across the UK, from all walks of life. Alongside many famous names, such as Olivia Newton-John and cricketer Ben Stokes OBE, City is delighted to share that seven of our alumni have been recognised for their commitment to various services, including healthcare, inclusiveness, homelessness, entrepreneurship, music and dance.

Congratulations to all of the alumni recognised!

Here are your City, University of London alumni on the New Year Honours list:

  • Mrs Jeanette A Howe (MHM Health Management, 1993)
    • OBE for services to Pharmacy
    • Howe has been one of the most influential figures in shaping community pharmacy for the past two decades. She was a major influence behind the 2004-05 ‘new contract’ and was the lead responsible officer in the Department of Health for the Rebalancing Medicines Legislation and Pharmacy Regulation Programme. Howe was a lead government negotiator for the most recent round of community pharmacy contractual reforms which saw £208 million cut from the pharmacy contractual reforms. She is also credited as being largely responsible for the creation of the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education in 1991, following the publication of the ‘Promoting Better Health’ white paper in 1987, and was instrumental in managing its survival through subsequent NHS re-organisations and changes of government.
  • Professor Dr Jane Melton (PhD Nursing, 2010)
    • MBE for services to Mental Health and People with Learning Disabilities
    • Professor Melton has worked with people who have learning disabilities and people experiencing mental illness for the majority of her 30-year NHS career. Her exceptional service and outstanding contribution to her profession was recognised in 2012 when she was awarded a Fellowship of the royal College of Occupational Therapists. Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive Paul Roberts said: “This honour is richly deserved. Jane has made a huge contribution to improving the lives of people who use our services, as well as furthering developments in therapy and recovery-focused programmes for people with mental health and learning disability conditions locally, nationally and internationally.”
  • Ms Polly (Mary) J Neate (PG Dip Periodical Journalism, 1989)
    • CBE for services to Homelessness
    • Neate has led on public policy, campaigns, research, communications, brand, fundraising and the relaunch of one of the UK’s largest charities, Action for Children. As well as leading all the organisation’s external influencing activities, she developed organisational strategy and led significant cultural change and staff engagement programmes. Neate is a journalist by profession with her last job as a journalist being editor of Community Care, a major weekly title for professionals in children’s services and social care, which under her control included two magazines as well as web-based products and large-scale events. She won several awards as an editor, both for journalism and campaigning. She has been a member of several advisory and working groups for government and opposition. Neate was recently voted one of the Top 30 charity CEOs on Twitter.
  • Ms Judith Palmer (MA Cultural Management, 2009)
    • MBE for services to Dance
    • Palmer is the CEO African Heritage UK and an independent dance artist with an expertise in African dance. Her specialism is analysing and teaching the forms she worked with Adzido Pan-African dance Ensemble as Principal dancer. Palmer was Chair of the Board of the Association of Dance of the African Diaspora for six years and spent 14 years with the IRIE. She is currently running African Heritage UK which is a unique agency that delivers masterclasses, technique training, and mentoring for artists working within the genre.
  • Mr Michael Plaut (Marketing MBA, 1986)
    • OBE for services to Business and Entrepreneurship
    • Plaut is the Managing Director of Northmace & Hendon, a leading hospitality company founded by his father and fellow City alumnus Rudi Plaut CBE (Civil Engineering, 1954). Between 2016 and 2018, he was the Chairman of CBI Wales, helping to make Wales more prosperous. Plaut has advised the Shadow Cabinet on SME business policy and has regularly commented on business and economic matters on both national and regional television and radio. He chaired and co-authored a report for a Welsh think tank titled “Wales: time for a realistic perspective” and the CBI’s influential report “Facing the Future”. He has also worked as investment banker, involved in capital raising, flotations, and latterly mergers & acquisitions. Michael is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Marketing and The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, and is a Trustee of The Lady Tangye Charitable Trust.
  • Mr Harry Virdee (Mathematical Sciences, 2004)
    • BEM for services to the BAME community and to Diversity and Inclusion
    • Virdee won the award for his charitable work in his capacity as trustee for the City Sikhs Foundation. He is a leading supporter and advocate for City Sikhs since it was founded in October 2010 as a network for British Sikh professionals. His vision, guidance and advise has seen it develop into one of the leading Sikh organisations in the country with more than 7,000 individual members. Throughout his life, he has championed diversity and fairness. He also has worked with a number of charities to raise awareness amongst the BAME community on issues such as promoting living organ donations and bone marrow transplants.
  • Dr Roy Wales (MA Arts Administration, 1979)
    • BEM for services to Choral Music
    • Wales is well known for creating and directing the annual Spring Music Festival and Rottingdean Arts, which promotes musical events on the Terraces Stage and in other village venues. He has directed more than 30 music and arts festivals in the past. With more than 50 years of extensive international experience as a conductor and in educational and arts management, he has been the director of many music schools and has sang at the Royal Opera House, while being the conductor of many orchestras and choirs. He is currently Music Director of the English Concert Orchestra, English Concert Singers and Chorus and The London Chorale.