News

Press Release - 20 June 2008

BEN People Win Royal Recognition

The Queen’s Birthday Honours List published last weekend, paying tribute to outstanding achievement and services across the entire community, appointed two of BEN’s senior management with OBE’s for their services to industry.

Christopher John Macgowan, OBE - BEN’s Chief Executive, formerly Chief Executive of the SMMT, was awarded an OBE for services to the automotive industry. Christopher worked for British Leyland early in his career and lived in Canada for a number of years. He joined Massey Ferguson in 1973 and more recently Ransomes plc. He was Chief Executive of the Retail Motor Industry Federation from 1996 - 1999. He joined the SMMT in 1999 as Chief Executive and held this position until the end of 2007. He became Chief Executive of BEN in April 2008 having held the position of President for three successive years.

Mrs Sarah Sillars, OBE - Chief Executive, Institute of the Motor Industry, and a BEN Vice President was awarded for services to skills training and to the automotive retail industry. In 2005, Sarah was appointed by the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to chair the new ‘Skills Sherpa’ unit of the Retail Motor Strategy Group. She is a non-executive director of Marshall of Cambridge, a leading aerospace and automotive company, and a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Coach-makers and Harness-makers. Sarah is listed as one of the most influential female executive in the UK motor industry in the AM Power List. She has more than twenty five years of experience within the motor and retail industries, having begun her career as a management trainee with Marks & Spencer.

Further information:
Lorna Russell at BEN
T: 01344 294765 M: 07920 138187 Fax: 01344 622042
lorna.russell@ben.org.uk