A LEADING light of one of Pendle’s major employers has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Birmingham City University.

Adrian Fawcett, chairman of the Silentnight Group, which has a large factory near Barnoldswick, was given the honour as graduates from the Birmingham Business School and Institute of Art and Design collected their degrees.

Fawcett was a finalist in the Sunday Times non-executive director of the year competition this year and is a previous holder of the Institute of Directors’ large company young director of the year and Business Insider’s entrepreneurial director of the year titles.

He said: “It is a pleasure to have been recognised with this honour. I am extremely passionate and enthusiastic about business and people development, and have been very fortunate to have spent time with many leading organisations in my career.”

He is also chairman of the likes of Park Holidays UK; Liberis and Smith Jones Solicitors and has been with Silentnight for three years.