University News Last updated 27 August 2014
The Chairman of Silentnight Group, Adrian Fawcett, will be awarded with an Honorary Doctorate on Monday 1 September at a Birmingham City University graduation ceremony.
Adrian is an experienced Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Non-Executive Director and business investor with a track record of running and significantly accelerating business performance.
Previously CEO & Vice-President of a number of FTSE 100 and international companies including GHG, Punch Taverns plc, Interbrew plc and Bass Brewers plc, Adrian started out as an economist with an early career with Ford & Mars Confectionary.
His business career has included successfully undertaking over £5 billon of mergers and acquisitions, as well as having been a Non-Executive Director of the Department of Work and Pensions with its £175 billion annual spend. His current portfolio includes being Company Director & Chairman of: Silentnight Group; Park Holidays UK; AR Metalizing; Petainer Group; Smith Jones Solicitors & Cycle SOS; Healthcare Cost Recovery; Liberis – Business Friendly Finance; and Advest Capital Ltd.
Adrian was voted 2014 finalist in the ‘Sunday Times’ Non-Executive Director of the year, having previously been awarded the ‘Institute of Directors’, Large Company Young Director of the Year and ‘Business Insider’, Entrepreneurial Director of the year.
On being honoured by Birmingham City University he said: "It is a privilege to have been recognised by the University. Developing the aptitude and abilities of the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs, to be competitive, is tremendously important not just for my companies, but all organisation and the UK economy. Birmingham City University is a fabulous institution putting in place the environment, framework and experiences to develop both thought processes and abilities of the next generation of business and societies leaders."
Adrian will receive the award on Monday 1 September at the Awards Congregation ceremony which will celebrate the achievements of students graduating from Birmingham City Business School and Birmingham Institute of Art and Design.