LEP Board member awarded MBE in Queen�s Birthday Honours

LEP Board member, Rashik Parmar, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to innovation and business.

A distinguished engineer and Lead Cloud Adviser – Europe for IBM by profession, Rashik has been a member of the LEP Board for three years.

Rashik is Chair of the LEP’s Business Communications Group, which provides a link between the LEP Board and business representative organisations and membership bodies in the City Region to influence policies on business growth. He is also a member of the LEP’s digital working group, which is currently steering work to develop a digital strategy for the City Region. This work will contribute to the ambition in the recently refreshed Strategic Economic Plan of making the region a global centre for digital jobs and talent.

Commenting on his award, Rashik said: “I was amazed to hear of this award - it reminds me that doing the things we really care about without any expectation of reward or recognition allows us to achieve things that cannot be imagined.”

LEP Chair, Roger Marsh OBE said: “I am immensely grateful for the time, energy and insight Rashik has brought to the LEP over the past three years and am delighted to see this work – alongside his outstanding contributions to business and innovation through his ‘day job’ – recognised through this extremely well-deserved award.”