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Notes on higher level awards in the New Year Honours 2023 Overseas and International Honours List

Published 30 December 2022

GCMG: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George

Mark Philip Lord Sedwill of Sherborne KCMG

Former Cabinet Secretary and National Security Adviser

Lord Sedwill is recognised for an exceptional and sustained contribution to public service, most recently as Cabinet Secretary and National Security Adviser. Lord Sedwill has been an outstanding diplomat and civil servant with a career of devoted public service spanning more than three decades. During this time, he has served 7 prime ministers and undertaken senior international and national public service roles in which he has strengthened our national security capabilities and the United Kingdom’s prosperity, security and influence.

DCMG: Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George

Deborah Bronnert CMG

HM Ambassador Moscow, Russia

Deborah Bronnert is recognised for her critical service to the UK’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, on top of a stellar diplomatic career in difficult posts, and a strong contribution to COP26 and as part of the senior leadership of the FCDO. Her achievements in Moscow have come at one of the most difficult points in the UK’s relationship with Russia and all the pressure that that has brought on the UK in Russia Network and its staff.

Melinda Simmons

HM Ambassador Kyiv, Ukraine

Melinda Simmons is recognised for her achievements and contribution in extraordinary circumstances as the UK Ambassador to Ukraine. She showed great courage in remaining in Kyiv for as long as possible, demonstrating the UK’s determination to lead the international community’s support for Ukraine, and was among the earliest foreign diplomats to return, staying there to work and live with the effects of the ongoing invasion ever since. She played a significant role in bringing together other G7 Ambassadors as a unified group, led the policy advice from the ground to help shape the UK’s position, and excelled in providing support to her own staff in the most difficult of circumstances.

Professor Fiona Murray CBE

Associate Dean of Innovation and Inclusion and William Porter Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Management, United States of America

Professor Fiona Murray is recognised for a sustained and highly influential contribution to UK strategy and policy in science and technology over the past eight years as a member of the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology. In addition, she has supported and enhanced the country’s reputation in this field with the United States – the UK’s preeminent partner in science and technology – as Associate Dean of Innovation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

KCMG: Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George

Masood Ahmed

President, Center for Global Development

Masood Ahmed is recognised for a sustained and exceptional contribution to international development. Mr Ahmed is one of the most strategic thinkers and leaders in the international development system. He has created and led successful initiatives at the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, the UK’s Department for International Development and the Center for Global Development, which have shaped the focus of that system over the last 3 decades and in doing so, has enhanced the UK’s global reputation.

Dr Mo Ibrahim

Founder, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation

Dr Mo Ibrahim is recognised for an outstanding contribution to philanthropy and international development through his role as the Founder and Chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which he established in 2006 to support good governance and exceptional leadership on the African continent. Sudanese-born, Dr Ibrahim has had a distinguished business career, founding one of Africa’s leading telephone companies that pioneered mobile services in Africa. In 2005, Dr Ibrahim sold this company and since then, has committed significant personal effort and financial resources to support the work of his foundation from his base in the United Kingdom.

Dr David Nabarro CBE

World Health Organisation Special Envoy for COVID-19 Prevention and Response

Dr David Nabarro is recognised for sustained and exceptional contributions to global public health, nutrition and food systems. He is a leading expert in confronting disease outbreaks and pandemics, currently working as the Director-General’s Special Envoy for Covid-19 Prevention and Response at the World Health Organisation and Co-Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College, London. He has played key roles in the 2014 to 2015 West Africa Ebola outbreak, the global movement to Scale Up Nutrition, and the UN Global Crisis Response Group (food, energy, finance). He won the World Food Prize in 2018 for his role in fighting food insecurity.

Matthew Rycroft CBE

Permanent Secretary, Home Office

Matthew Rycroft is recognised for his achievements in three top Civil Service positions, including in his current role at the Home Office leading the Department’s work to keep the country safe during a challenging period. This builds on strong leadership both as Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Development and as the UK’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

The Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP

President, the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26)

Alok Sharma is recognised for his outstanding contribution to combatting climate change in his role as President of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). His commitment, leadership and diplomatic skill were crucial in delivering the Glasgow Climate Pact and enabling the Conference to agree significant and historic commitments from individual countries that will have a major impact in addressing climate change in the years to come.