Leading business names receive royal recognition

LEADING figures in Welsh business have been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours, including former CBI Wales director Ian Price and leading enterprise academic Professor Brian Morgan, who receive OBEs.

- SION BARRY Business editor

Llanelli-born co-founder and chairman of Specsavers Doug Perkins has also received a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to business and trade.

Swansea-born Mr Price, who stood down as director of CBI Wales last December a role who took up in 2018 having first joined the business membership body in 2005 receives an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to business and charity.

Mr Price said: "I am totally chuffed and it really is recognition of the hard work of the brilliant people that I came into contact with at the CBI."

His charity work includes being a board member in Wales of the King's Trust.

He was away on a three-week holiday with his wife when his official letter arrived back home. He said: "We were in Thailand and learned of the honour when I got a call asking if I planned to respond to the letter. It was a huge surprise."

Prof Morgan, director of the Creative Leadership and Enterprise Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University, is honoured for his services to the Welsh economy.

Aberdare-born Prof Morgan began his career in Whitehall and played a key role shaping the economic strategy of the Welsh Development Agency in the 1990s, with a focus on inward investment. He is also a co-founder of one of Wales' most successful export brands, Penderyn Whisky.