By Vivienne Russell | 16 June 2014
Comptroller and auditor general Amyas Morse received a knighthood in this year’s Birthday Honours, leading a distinguished list of public servants who were recognised.
Morse, who has been head of the National Audit Office since 2009, was made a knight commander of the Order of the Bath.
Derek Myers, former chief executive of both the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and neighbouring Hammersmith & Fulham, and the first person to lead two unitary councils at once, was also knighted.
Other knighthoods went to: Robert Francis QC, who led the public inquiry into care failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust; John Dunford, former general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders; David Eastwood, former chief executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England; and Michael Deegan, chief executive of Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Kate Barker, a former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee and chair of the 2004 review of housing supply, was made a dame. A damehood also went to Jil Matheson, UK National Statistician and chief executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
Former CIPFA president Chris Bilsland, the former chamberlain of the City of London, received an OBE for services to local government finance.
Several current and former local government leaders were honoured, including Alistair Dodds, former chief executive of Highland Council, who received the CBE. Alistair Buchan, chief executive of Orkney Islands Council, also received the CBE. David Hill, chief executive of Milton Keynes Council, received the OBE and a CBE also went to Paul Tilsley, former deputy leader of Birmingham City Council.
Stephen Egan, deputy chief executive and director of finance and corporate resources at the Higher Education Funding Council for England, was made a CBE, as was Jo Whelan, deputy chief executive of the Debt Management Office for services to public finance.
An MBE went to CIPFA member Phillip Sheldon, force strategic finance manager at Derbyshire Constabulary, for services to police finance.
