Project professionals celebrated in the King’s Birthday Honours 2026

The King’s Birthday Honours list 2026 has been published, recognising 1,182 people for their exceptional achievements and significant contributions to British society. Members of the project profession have been well represented in this list, including Association for Project Management (APM) members and Chartered Project Professionals (ChPP).

Among those receiving Honours are:

Gary Anthony Badley, Senior Responsible Owner - Property Transformation Programme and Director of Property Services for the Ministry of Justice, has been awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his role in the nation’s public service.

Caroline Botwood, Director of Nuclear Projects Delivery in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, has been awarded a CBE for her work in the nuclear industry.

Timothy Hall, Head of Estates and Programmes for Woodland Trust Scotland, Chair of Future Woodlands Scotland and Trustee for Borders Forest Trust, was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to conservation and forestry.

Hiren Bhimjiyani, Programme Director of Global Supply Chain Intelligence Programme for the Department for Business and Trade, received a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his work in trade, supply chain intelligence and machine learning innovation.

Simon Paul Richardson, Lately Ceremonials Project Manager at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, was awarded an MBE for his public service work.

Becky Ruddy, Senior Programme Director at NRS Dounreay, has been awarded an MBE in recognition of her services to women in the nuclear industry, acting as a strong role model by championing opportunities and supporting women, whilst also continuing to promote the industry on national and international stages.

Jenna Louise Truman, Project Co-Ordinator for Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces and Youth Justice Worker, has been recognised with an MBE for her work with vulnerable young people and families.

Esther Louise Lagden, APM member, CHPP and Programme Manager at Network Rail, has been recognised with a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her services towards rail safety.

William Luckhurst, Senior Technical Manager (Projects) for the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences at King's College London, has received a BEM for his services to scanning electron microscopy.

Clare Elizabeth Olver, Programmes Manager at Community Forest Trust, has been recognised with a BEM for her work in community forestry.

Lena Smith, Library Programme Manager at Pen to Print has been awarded a BEM for her work with public libraries in Barking.

Richard Starrs, project manager for Stockton and Darlington Railway Bicentenary, has been awarded a BEM for his services to Heritage. Richard helped deliver the 200th anniversary celebrations for the Stockton & Darlington Railway.

As the chartered membership organisation for the project profession, APM offers its congratulations to everyone whose contributions and achievements have been recognised by these Honours.