University to honour former governor

James Newman is also chairman of the Sheffield city region local enterprise partnership, set up to attract investment to South Yorkshire after the demise of regional development agency Yorkshire Forward.

He is the current chairman of Finance Yorkshire and has been a director of a number of Yorkshire-based public companies over many years. He also chairs a national charity, which runs care homes for the elderly.

Reacting to the announcement, Mr Newman said: “To be honoured in this way by the university, where I was a governor, is a special moment for me.

“The Sheffield city region and Yorkshire is a fantastic place to be educated and be in business and I am proud to have played a small part in both the city’s and the wider region’s development over the years.”

Joining Mr Newman on the list is Sir George Buckley who was knighted in the 2011 honours list for his services to industry.

Earlier this year Sir George retired from 3M where he had been chairman, president and CEO since 2005.

Sir George has early connections with Hallam University having worked there as an apprentice electrician at the age of 15 when it was Sheffield College of Technology.

Also receiving a doctorate will be David Baldwin, who established the family-owned Baldwins Omega restaurant at Brincliffe Hall in Sheffield in 1980. He is still chef patron there.

Mark Ridgeway managing director of Group Rhodes, a Wakefield-based group of seven engineering companies, and Maurice Marks, who is the founder and director of higher education market research company OpinionPanel will also be given the honorary degrees.