On 11 July 2018, the annual Cranfield School of Management Alumni Awards took place at The Royal Society. The event ceremony brought together alumni, colleagues and friends of Cranfield School of Management to celebrate the achievements.
During her opening address, Professor Lynette Ryals, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Director, Cranfield School of Management described how the celebratory dinner and presentation is one of the highlights of the Cranfield School of Management calendar, and how it allows us to celebrate the major impact our alumni are having in their respective industries and communities. Our alumni are our greatest ambassadors and this ceremony, and it’s a privilege and an honour to recognise their achievements.
Professor Ryals also spoke about the distinctive strengths of the School and highlighted the School’s recent achievements such as being named as one of the top 20 programmes in the world for entrepreneurship by the Financial Times and being the first provider of an MBA through the apprenticeship levy.
When we called for nominations for these awards we were overwhelmed with the positive response from our alumni and the wider community. People were quick to vote for alumni who they felt had made a difference, and the people who made the biggest impression were honoured on the night.
The award ceremony recognised and honoured alumni in four categories. The winners were:
The Zurich Alumni Community
The Alumni Service Award
The Alumni Service Award recognises those who have made an outstanding contribution in a volunteer capacity over an extended period of time, and acknowledges the vital role that alumni have to play in the continued strength and success of the School.
Dr Kim Nilsson (MBA 2012) and Jason Muller (MBA 2012)
The Excellence in Achievement Award for Recent Graduates
The Excellence in Achievement Award for Recent Graduates recognises those who have made significant progress in their careers within ten years of graduating from the School. This award recognises those who have the potential to reach the highest levels of business success in the future.
Jamie Waller (Business Growth Programme 2010)
The Entrepreneur of the Year Award
The Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognises those who have achieved outstanding entrepreneurial success while upholding the highest standards of business practice and also acknowledges the importance placed on entrepreneurship teaching and research at the School.
Zak Hydari (MBA 2004)
The Distinguished Alumnus Award
The Distinguished Alumnus Award is the School’s most prestigious award and recognises truly outstanding achievements of our alumni over sustained periods of time.
All our award winners, and previous prize-winners, have made significant contributions in their respective fields, and each one is a great example of what Cranfield School of Management represents, for example a role model for leadership, innovation and creativity, impact on the market, and impact on volunteering activities.
After the celebratory dinner and presentation of the awards, Professor Sir Peter Gregson, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor, Cranfield University closed the awards ceremony by speaking about his vision for the future of Cranfield, and how Cranfield’s partnerships with some of the world’s leading companies are helping us leverage significant capital investment at the University.
Photos from the event
