Professor Brian Morgan awarded OBE for services to business and enterprise in Wales
Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Brian Morgan has been awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the King’s Birthday Honours List, recognising his outstanding contributions to business development, entrepreneurship, and the Welsh economy.
Professor Morgan, who was recently appointed Emeritus Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University’s School of Management, described the honour as a deeply meaningful moment at the close of an impactful academic and professional journey: “It’s a great honour and I was absolutely delighted to receive it. The letter came through just after I’d officially retired and been made Emeritus Professor, so it felt like a final flourish after many years of work.”
Since joining Cardiff Met in 2007, Brian has played a transformative role in embedding enterprise and innovation into the University’s culture and curriculum. As Director of the Creative Leadership and Enterprise Centre (CLEC), he developed new models of applied leadership education tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Wales.
One of his most notable achievements at Cardiff Met was the creation of the 20Twenty Leading Business Growth Programme, a flagship initiative that equipped SME leaders with the tools, confidence, and networks needed to scale their businesses and contribute to the Welsh economy. The programme blended academic insight with real-world application and helped raise Cardiff Met’s profile as a national leader in business and entrepreneurship support. Though now semi-retired, he continues to provide mentorship and one-day-a-week support to the CLEC team, ensuring its legacy of impact continues.
“The Centre is in good hands,” said Professor Morgan. “The colleagues who worked with me over the years are now taking the reins and pushing the programme forward, which is incredibly rewarding to see.”
Beyond his work at Cardiff Met, Brian is a renowned Welsh economist and champion of innovation-led business growth and has had a wide-ranging and influential career across academia, government policy, and private enterprise. He is currently chair of Severn Estuary Tidal Bar Ltd. – a company that is developing a new turbine to promote a tidal range energy project in the Severn.
He began his professional life at the London School of Economics, where he studied alongside figures such as the UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Chair, Sir Clive Jones CBE, who would later encourage and support his nomination for the honour.
Over the years, Professor Morgan has held key roles at institutions including Cardiff Business School and the Welsh Development Agency (WDA). His work as WDA’s Chief Economist was instrumental in shaping enterprise policy and supporting business investment across Wales.
In the private sector, he played a pivotal role in the early growth of Penderyn Whisky, Wales’s most celebrated distillery, helping to bring a uniquely Welsh brand to global markets. His commitment to local enterprise and sustainable economic growth has been a recurring theme throughout his career.
Brian hopes to attend an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle later this year, where he will be formally presented with the OBE. He plans to be joined by his wife and family to mark the occasion.
Also honoured is Cardiff Met Governor, Kevin Coutinho, who received an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
Kevin is Chair of the Board of Trustees and Director at the Windsor Fellowship, a charitable organisation enabling talented people from diverse communities to fulfil their potential.
In total, Kevin has amassed 25 years’ experience in EDI, 15 of which have been in higher education. He helped deliver the Race Equality Charter at the University of Oxford and provided EDI policy guidance and developed initiatives with the University of Cambridge. At University College London, Kevin worked as their Athena SWAN manager.