Welcome to Yorkshire CEO collects honorary award
Pictured with his academic chaperone for the day principal lecturer Leigh Morland is honorary award recipient Sir Gary Verity
Wed, 16 Nov 2016 12:11:00 GMT
Sir Gary Verity received an Honorary Doctorate of the University for services to tourism and economic regeneration in Yorkshire
THE project to bring the Tour de France to the county was “bonkers, in a very Yorkshire way”, according to the man who presided over it, Sir Gary Verity. But its success proved that anything was achievable, he told University of Huddersfield students.
Sir Gary was speaking after receiving an Honorary Doctorate of the University, during one of the graduation ceremonies taking place during a week that would award 1,500 graduates with their degrees.
As Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, which secured the departure of the Tour in 2014, Sir Gary has been widely praised for his role, and it led to his 2015 knighthood. But he told the audience of students and their families that he had been honoured “to be able to lead thousands of people who delivered the Grand Départ”. They included local authorities, police, and other agencies plus 14,000 volunteers.
“What that proves – which is relevant to today’s ceremony – is that whatever you want to achieve you can, even if you have a crazy dream to bring the largest annual sporting event in the world here. It will stay in Yorkshire’s history as one of its great days,” said Sir Gary.
Before he received his Honorary Doctorate, an oration was delivered by Professor Samir Dani, who heads the University’s Department of Logistics, Operations, Hospitality and Marketing. He outlined Sir Gary’s varied career, which included roles with FTSE 100 companies and a reputation for turning around failing businesses, leading up to his success at Welcome to Yorkshire.
The Grand Départ – secured after stiff competition from cities and regions that included Barcelona, Florence and Berlin – resulted in a £102 million economic boost to Yorkshire, said Professor Dani.
In his acceptance speech, Sir Gary told new Business School graduates: “For those of you going into management, the greatest thing you can do for your fellow mankind is to give them a job. You give them self-esteem, the opportunity put bread on the table for their family, and to be a great contributor to society. So I salute you as future entrepreneurs and wealth creators.”
