Wolfson alumni recognised in King's Birthday Honours list

Hanifa Shah (credit Birmingham City University)

We are delighted that Mark Chatterton MBE (2008, Applied Criminology & Police Management), Jeremy Wilson MBE (1986, Design, Manufacture & Management), Carole Johnson MBE (2016, Applied Criminology & Police Management), Christine Counsell OBE (2005, PhD Education), Professor Hanifa Shah OBE (2011, MSt Sustainability Leadership), and Sir Stephen Kavanagh KCMG (1999, MPhil Criminology) were all honoured in the list announced in June.

Their selections – which are also reflective of the College's strengths in Criminology, Sustainability, and Education – continue a long line of Wolfson recognition in the royal Honours lists, including our President, Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu, and Honorary Fellow Professor Gordon Dougan, who was awarded a CBE in this year's list.

Mark Chatterton MBE was recognised for services to the community in Farnborough, Hampshire. A retired police officer, he is a Foundation Governor of Salesian College, and was previously Chair of Trustees at Citizens Advice Rushmoor. A passionate advocate for fairness and equality, Mark's work behind the scenes helped ensured that the organisation remained financially sustainable, well-governed, and resilient in the face of increasing demand.

Jeremy Wilson MBE was recognised for his services to indoor climbing and community sport. He is the founder and CEO of the Lakeland Climbing Centre (LCC) Ltd and a director of UK Climbing Ltd. The first centre opened in Kendal in 1995, and the company now has sites in Lancaster, Preston and London. Jeremy also established the Lakeland Climbing Foundation, which aims to educate people nationwide about the benefits of climbing.

Jeremy said, "Climbing has been a lifelong passion of mine - something I've always wanted to share with as many people as possible. It's an incredible sport in so many ways, and my most treasured memories are of time spent on the wall or out on the crags with good friends, going right back to my teenage years."

Carole Johnson MBE was awarded an MBE for her outstanding services to policing. She joined Durham Constabulary in 1996 as an administrator working at Newton Aycliffe Police Station, followed by posts in the Press Office and CID- but her career changed direction when she joined the intelligence team in 2000, through which she played a key role in tracing missing children and dismantling organised crime groups. Carole helped set up the Central Authorities Bureau (CAB) team in 2010, which handles covert surveillance and warrant operations and has since become the longest-serving CAB manager in the UK.

Carole told Durham Constabulary, "I absolutely love my job. You are always learning, there is always something new, whether that is changing technology or changing legislation, so it is always different. There are hard days, but the team I work with are amazing people and my job is made easier by them. We have saved some lives and we have locked up some bad people, so I am really passionate about it."

Christine Counsell OBE, a former Fellow at Wolfson, was recognised for services to Education. Christine is an independent consultant supporting schools in curriculum and teacher development. In 2021, she co-founded Opening Worlds Ltd, a humanities programme for teaching history, geography and religion in Years 3 to 6. The programme is now used in over 200 schools nationwide. She previously led the History PGCE course at University of Cambridge for 19 years.

Christine was described by the Historical Association as "a champion for history as a discipline and as a way for all people to understand the world around them."

Professor Hanifa Shah OBE has been recognised for services to Higher Education. She is Pro Vice-Chancellor STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment at Birmingham City University. Her wide-ranging experience of higher education spans teaching, research, enterprise and industry engagement combined with leading academic strategy development and organisational change.

Hanifa said, "I am deeply honoured to receive this award. It is not only a personal milestone but a testament to the collective effort of my collaborators - educators, industry mentors, and institutions who believe in the power of education to change lives."

Sir Stephen Kavanagh KCMG was knighted for his exceptional contributions to international policing and public safety. He received the title Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in recognition of his leadership as Executive Director of Police Services at INTERPOL, a position he has held since 2020. In this role, he serves as the organisation's second-highest ranking official and the world's most senior policing figure.

Sir Stephen announced on LinkedIn, "To receive a Knighthood for roles I have truly loved and found immense purpose in, is something I had never dreamed possible. In fact it feels pretty surreal."