Industry names recognised in New Year’s Honours

The New Year’s Honours list is the first to be announced by King Charles III
The New Year’s Honours list is the first to be announced by King Charles III

The print, publishing, and paper industries were all represented on the New Year’s Honours list, the first to be announced by King Charles III.

Puneet Gupta, co-founder and CEO at paper supplier PG Paper, was awarded an OBE for services to business, to charity, and to the community in Scotland.

Gupta commented: “I am truly honoured and humbled. This recognition is an incredibly proud moment in my life, achieved with the ongoing support from my family, hardworking team and those I have had the pleasure of working alongside.

“From a young age, my parents taught me that working hard and giving back was a way of life, and I have strived to carry these values throughout my entire business career and charitable work. So, to be recognised means so much.

“With every business success or win, I look for an opportunity for the company to give back. I have ambitious growth plans for the future of PG Paper, concentrating on further expansion internationally to double the business over the next two years across global markets and further diversification, and I look forward to this.”

Gupta is continuously expanding his business portfolio, diversifying into property, healthcare, hospitality and leisure. He is passionate about supporting communities and contributing to society through his philanthropic endeavours. He is heavily involved with many local, national, and international charities, including the British Asian Trust and the UK veterans’ mental health charity Combat Stress. Gupta also holds various local and national trustee positions, directorships and board memberships, including Local Recovery and the Scottish Chamber of Commerce Business Advisory Group.

PG Paper was established by Puneet and Poonam Gupta in 2003. It employs more than 30 staff at its Greenock site in Scotland, with strategic international locations across the globe.

Poonam Gupta had received an OBE for services to business and charity in the Queen’s 2017 New Year’s Honours list.

Gavin Killeen, managing director of Londonderry-based Nuprint Technologies, has been awarded an MBE, for services to further education in Northern Ireland.

Nuprint specialises in the manufacture of high-quality commercial and industrial labels, including shrink sleeves, self-adhesive, and wraparound reel-fed labels.

Killeen was also former chair of the North West Regional College’s (NWRC) governing body, and the Honorary Award recipient at the NWRC’s 2022 graduation.

On LinkedIn, Killeen posted: “Hard to believe that after being the recipient of the NWRC Honorary Award at this year’s graduation, it could be topped. Being awarded an MBE today was a great shock, a huge honour, and also extremely humbling.

“It has been a privilege to have served on the board of the NWRC and to [have] worked with some of the most talented and thoughtful individuals that put the student front and central in everything they do.

“The impact the FE sector in NI has on our society is often overlooked and underestimated but it is essential if we are to rebalance our economy and provide opportunities for all our citizens.”

In publishing, Vanessa Kingori, chief business officer at Condé Nast Britain and publishing director at British Vogue, has been awarded an OBE for services to the media industry – she had previously been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s 2016 Birthday Honours List.

Richard Horton, editor-in-chief at The Lancet, was also awarded an OBE, for services to health and medical journalism, while author and investigative journalist Catherine Belton was awarded an MBE for services to journalism.