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2012: New Year honours

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31st Dec 2012
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As 2012 draws to a close, members of the accountancy profession were celebrated with New Year honours, including an OBE for deaf KPMG director Teresa Sienkiewicz, who overcame hearing problems to receive her award for services to the accountancy and pensions professions.

"It's been a great career for a deaf person. Being deaf has really defined what I do," she told local newspaper the Surry Comet.

Over a thousand hard-working and dedicated people were recommended to Her Majesty for an honour across the UK, including many who were involved in this years' London Olympics and Paralympics, recognised on a special honours list.

Finance and programme director for the Government Olympic Executive David Goldstone scooped an CBE for services to the financial administration of the proceedings and Richard Thomas Hartman, head of financial control at the Government Olympic Executive was awarded an OBE for services to the Olympics and Paralympics, in addition to voluntary service to the museum sector.

Other notable names included a knighthood for Tour de France winner and Olympian Bradley Wiggins, a GBE for Sir Alan Budd, who left retirement to work for the Office for Budget Responsibility, a Companion of Honour for physicist Peter Higgs, who leant his name to the famous Higgs Boson particle discovered this year and a CBE for Cherie Blair for recognition of service to womens' issues and charity. 

The government placed a focus on the Olympics and sport this year, as well as those in the industry and economic and voluntary sectors.

Away from the sporting arenas, however, accountants have been hard to spot among the MBEs, CBEs and other orders. 

Amongst the recipients was Professor Judith Freedman, professor of tax law at Oxford, who received a CBE for her contribution to tax research.

Senior Grant Thornton partner Geraint Davies was another from the financial profession to be celebrated. He was awarded a CBE for charity and voluntary work in Wales.

Three HMRC officials, including a deputy director, assistant director and senior avoidance investigator were awarded CBEs, while six more staff, including senior officers, received MBEs. 
AccountingWEB has also been able to identify the following:
Companions of the Order of Bath: 
Trevor John Llanwarne, government actuary - for services to the actuarial profession and public finance job and to public service pension reform 
CBE

Geraint Davies, a partner in Grant Thornton's Cardiff office was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for his voluntary work, in particularly wth the Aberfan Disaster Fund (now the Aberfan Memorial Charity and Aberfan Education Charity). A specialist in charity and not-for-profit audit work, he has been chief adviser for more than 30 years to the fund that was set up following the 1966 landslide that killed 116 children and 28 adults in the south Wales village

Professor Judith Anne Freedman, professor of tax law, Oxford University - for services to tax research
David Goldstone, finance and programme director, Government Olympic Executive - for services to the financial administration of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games
Dr Marian Wilson, deputy director of the campaigns, risk and intelligence service at HMRC - for services to increasing tax revenues through innovative national schemes.
OBE 
Fleur Bothwich, director of diversity and inclusiveness, Ernst & Young - for services to inclusion and diversity in the workplace
Eileen Hallissey, head of accounting, finance, planning and performance, department of BIS - for services to government finance
Tracey April Pickin, assistant director of the public bodies group at HMRC - for services to tax compliance
Kevin Waller, senior avoidance investigator of the anti-avoidance group at HMRC - for services to tax compliance and the tax profession,
MBE
Patrick Curtis, senior officer in special investigations at HMRC Northern Ireland - for services to preventing fuel
Mahendre Gajjar, officer SME London HMRC - for services to tax and duty fraud prevention and to the community in Edgware
Valerie Carol Mercer, higher officer at risk and intelligence service, HMRC - for services preventing alcohol fraud
Sally Ann Skynaston, higher officer and project co-ordinator for programmes and projects at HMRC - for services to HMRC and girl guiding in West Yorkshire South
Yvonne Zena Stone, senior officer, criminal investigation HMRC - for services to prevention of smuggling and asset recovery 
Jennifer Swanson, officer and support team manager, large business service HMRC - for services to the tax system and voluntary service to children,
As is usually the case, names will come forward as professional bodies and colleagues let us know about the winners. If you know of any accountants named in the list, please post their details below.
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Mark Lee headshot 2023
By Mark Lee
31st Dec 2012 11:06

Prof Judith Freedman. Professor of tax law, Oxford University

Awarded a CBE for services to tax research.

Judith is a member of the Council of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, a member of the Tax Law Review Committee, and was one of the few lawyers contributing to the Mirrlees report 'Reforming the Tax System for the 21st Century

She participated in the establishment of the Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation and is now its Director of Legal Research and a member of its Steering Committee and Advisory Board She has served on a number of Law Society, DTI and Inland Revenue Committees and advisory groups and was a member of the Company Law Review's working party on small companies. She is currently a member of the Office of Tax Simplification Consultative Committee on Small Business Taxation and the Tax Avoidance Study Group appointed to report to the Exchequer Secretary on the question of a General Anti-avoidance Rule.

Basically, she well deserves this honour bestowed on her.

Mark

Thanks (1)
Jennifer Adams
By Jennifer Adams
31st Dec 2012 15:05

Names listed

Just as Rachael, I too read through all of the New Year awards as set out in The Times for work purposes (or rather hubby’s work purposes - hubby is a broadcast journalist based in Southampton).

It took me a good hour to read and list all those who would be of interest to the radio listening public in Southampton.

As Rachael said - accountants have been hard to spot among the MBEs, CBEs and other orders. But whilst doing my list I noticed something... am I being too harsh/unkind in saying that the majority of the awards were given to those who were just doing their job?

 

 

Thanks (1)
Replying to Duggimon:
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By Peter Tuppen
01st Jan 2013 12:19

"Civil" Servants.

Excellent. - hit nail on head.

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By Trevor Scott
01st Jan 2013 20:53

Given that HMRC...

...continues to be a failing organisation, it would be interesting to see some statistics covering the numbers of senior persons dismissed for lack of competence .....so that we can compare it to the number awarded gongs.

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