The 2026 New Year Honors List highlights a broad cross-section of UK business leaders, rewarding contributions to high-growth sectors, corporate leadership, entrepreneurship and efforts to broaden business opportunity and investment.
While the honors system casts a wide net across public service, the arts, charity and science, many recipients stand out for their direct impact on the UK economy and business landscape.
Banking, Finance and Corporate Leadership
Gary Andrew Hoffman – CBE
Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to the economy and sport, Hoffman is Chairman of Monzo Bank Holding Group and Monzo Bank Limited. His leadership comes amid a period of rapid growth in digital banking and a renewed focus on customer trust and regulatory compliance in UK fintech.
Ian Graham King – CBE
Awarded a CBE for his role as Chief Executive Officer of BAE Systems and Principal Non-Executive Director of the Department of Transport. King's leadership of one of the UK's largest defense and aerospace companies underlines the strategic importance of advanced manufacturing and technology-driven exports to the UK economy.
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Champion
Jonathan Pierce Daniel Linney – OBE
Respected for his services to small business, entrepreneurs, investors, banking and diversity, Lini is the Executive Chairman of Implement AI Limited, a company at the intersection of technology adoption and SME scaling. Their recognition reflects the growing profile of AI-enabled services in support of UK startups and investment readiness.
Akin Onal – OBE
Onal, Founder and CEO of MORI, has been honored for services to entrepreneurship. His work is widely associated with boosting the UK start-up ecosystem and promoting inclusive pathways to business growth.
Mary Sarah Owen – OBE
Owen, founder and chief executive of LS Productions, was honored for services to the creative industries and economic development, indicating the increasingly important role of creative and media businesses in economic vibrancy and regional development.
Sector leadership and industry bodies
Mark Bamforth – OBE
Executive Chairman of Kinsale Bio and General Partner of the Kineticos AMR Accelerator Fund, Bamforth received the honor for services to UK life sciences and UK-US trade relations. Their cross-border work in biotech funding and strategic partnerships reflects the UK's globalized innovation economy.
Alessandra Bellini – OBE
A former president of the Advertising Association, Bellini was recognized for his contribution to the advertising and marketing sector – industries that underpin the UK's creative exports and digital media growth.
Safraz Ali – OBE
As Chief Executive Officer of Pathway Group, Ali has been recognized for his leadership in diversity and inclusion in the business. The award highlights how equitable talent and board representation is increasingly being prioritized in modern UK corporate culture.
Joan Liddle – OBE
Managing Director of Industrial Precision Components Ltd, Lidl was recognized for services to the aerospace sector in Northern Ireland, a reminder of the vital role of manufacturing expertise in regional economies and national supply chains.
Entrepreneurial legacy and large-scale impact
Richard David Harpin – Night Bachelor
Honored for his services to business, Harpin (pictured) is the founder and former CEO of HomeServe, a £4.1bn home help business which now employs around 9,000 people. Her career marks a scale-up journey from start-up founder to industry disruptor, and her recent work with Policy on Apprenticeships emphasizes the role of business in workforce development.
This year's list highlights both the diversity of contributions and the new nature of business impact in the UK: from technology and fintech to manufacturing and creative industries, the sectors being honored include sectors that collectively shape economic resilience and future opportunity.
This year honors indicative areas of growth and impact and underlines how recognition at a national level often reflects broader themes in business policy and investment.
jamie young
Jamie is a senior reporter at Business Matters, with over a decade of experience in UK SME business reporting. Jamie has a degree in Business Administration and regularly attends industry conferences and workshops. When Jamie is not reporting on the latest business developments, he is passionate about mentoring budding journalists and entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of business leaders.