Roger Marsh, a Leeds alumnus and member of the University Council, has been knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
The honour - for services to business, the economy and the community in northern England - marks many years of distinguished service and contribution to economic growth across the region.
Congratulating him on his knighthood, Professor Simone Buitendijk, Vice-Chancellor, said: “This honour is richly deserved. Sir Roger has given many years of selfless service to the University of Leeds, the city and the region.”
Sir Roger is Chair of the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and a former senior partner at professional services firm PwC Leeds.
As a Leeds alumnus, Sir Roger supports scholarships for students from less-privileged backgrounds, and in this video explains why he chooses to give students “the same privilege that I had – of coming to such a great place as the University of Leeds”.
Regional impact
His impact on the regional community has been considerable, including as a member of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the Transport for the North Partnership Board and the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.
He is a keen supporter of the Institute for High-Speed Rail and System Integration being developed at the University, citing it as the “centrepiece” of a plan to develop a national centre for rail engineering in the Leeds City Region.
He was also the driving force behind the ‘Be the Spark’ campaign, which drew cross-party support from local authorities and the creative sector and resulted in Channel 4 choosing Leeds for their new national headquarters.