Advertising Association president Keith Weed is among figures named in the New Year Honours list, in recognition of his services to the advertising and marketing industry.
The former Unilever marketing chief was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Taking to Twitter, Weed said: “Deeply honoured to receive a CBE in the New Year’s honours list for services to the advertising and marketing industries.
Deeply honoured to receive a CBE in the New Year’s honours list for services to the advertising and marketing industries. Very much a shared recognition with all those building more purposeful, environmentally and socially sustainable businesses at @Unilever @ad_association @wpp https://t.co/ER1pxgdLCb
— Keith Weed (@keithweed) December 31, 2020
“Very much a shared recognition with all those building more purposeful, environmentally and socially sustainable businesses at Unilever, Advertising Association and WPP.”
Weed retired from his role at Unilever in 2019 after 35 years before joining the board of WPP as a non-executive director.
The advertising mogul has also invested in influencer marketplace Tribe, as well as customer experience platform Limitless.
A string of senior figures in the retail sector have also been honoured after a year in which supermarkets played a vital role in keeping the country moving during the coronavirus outbreak.
Dave Lewis, former chief executive of Tesco, was knighted for his services to the food industry and to business. Lewis stepped down in September 2020 after six years in which he was credited with transforming Tesco's business performance and brand perceptions.
Melanie Smith and Joanne Whitfield, chief executives of Ocado and Co-op Group respectively, were also awarded CBEs for their responses to the pandemic.
While Co-op scrapped its Easter campaign and donated airtime worth £2.5m to fight hunger during Covid-19, Ocado ranked 18th in Kantar and WPP’s Most Valuable UK Brands report.
A string of Asda employees, including data scientists James Cameron and Rafal Olbert, were awarded MBEs for their service to the economy and vulnerable customers during Covid-19.
In September, Weed praised adland's response to the first wave of the pandemic, describing the industry as a "canary in the mine".
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