We are extremely proud to announce that SThree CEO Gary Elden has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours List. This is an incredible achievement and a proud moment for Gary and everyone at SThree.
What is an OBE?
An OBE (Officer for the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) is a Queen’s honour given to an individual for a major role in making distinguished contributions in areas such as business, charity or the public sector.
Gary was awarded his OBE for his achievement and service to Diversity in Business. Gary embraces all aspects of diversity and wants SThree to be a place where individual differences and unique opinions are recognised and where everyone’s voice is heard.
This list coincides with the Queen’s 90th birthday and Gary is invited to Buckingham Palace to collect his OBE which makes this honour extra special.
“It is an amazing honour to be awarded an OBE, particularly as part of the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations. Diversity and inclusion are very close to my heart, both at work and in the local community,” says Gary.
Creating a diverse work environment
It has always been immensely important to Gary that SThree, on a global scale, offers an engaging environment for everyone to succeed. He recognises the great wealth of making SThree a positive, rich and nurturing place to work where employees can reach their full potential, irrespective of their background.
“At SThree you’ll get recognised – it doesn’t matter about your background, your gender, your religion or your politics. It’s about you as an individual,” says Gary who was last year named the Black British Business Person of the Year and is a trustee of the Powerlist Foundation, which runs an annual leadership programme to inspire young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“I honestly believe we are a meritocratic business and you’re judged on what you put in. I believe that you can start in this company, and if you have the right core values that we’re looking for, and you want the opportunity then there are no limits to what you can achieve, irrespective of your background. Where you go – that’s up to you,” concludes Gary.
We want to say another huge congratulations to you Gary for this amazing achievement!
If you want to find out more about Gary’s vision for creating a meritocratic and diverse place to work, read his most recent article about his inspiring career journey and what a career at SThree is all about.