Top businessman receives CBE
A West Midlands business leader and avid steam train enthusiast travelled to Buckingham Palace to receive his CBE from the Prince of Wales.
Nick Paul, who is non-executive director of the Kidderminster-based Severn Valley Railway, made the trip to London accompanied by his family yesterday.
He is also chairman of Advantage West Midlands and received the accolade in the New Year's Honour's List in recognition of his services to business in the region.
He has also previously been chairman of the MG Rover taskforce. Mr Paul, aged 64, of Malvern, received his CBE from Prince Charles.
Speaking after the ceremony, Mr Paul said: "What an honour today has been for me, for my family, for Advantage West Midlands and all the people I've worked alongside over the past six years. I am very proud to have received this accolade. I am also very proud of the West Midlands region and the fighting spirit being shown by its people, its businesses and its communities in such difficult times.
"The lessons we've learned the hard way, through the MG Rover crisis, are shaping our response today. We will emerge fitter and stronger as a result."
Mr Paul will end his second term as chairman of the AWM in August this year.
His became non-executive director of the Severn Valley Railway through his passion for steam trains.
A similiar enthusiasm for rugby has also led to him becoming a board member of Worcester Warriors Rugby Club.
He is married, to Trish, and has four children and five grandchildren.
Before taking over as chairman of Advantage West Midlands, Mr Paul was formerly chairman of the West Midlands Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and a member of the CBI Manufacturing Council.
He was deputy chief executive of international engineering group IMI plc.
Mr Paul is now chairman of Tricorn Group plc – a group of companies that develop and manufacture products and services for the environmental engineering sector. Mr Paul first became chairman of the regional development agency Advantage West Midlands in December 2002.
Its has an annual budget of more than £300million to invest in the economic development of the West Midlands and, at any one time, is managing around 2,500 projects in the region.