Jane Boardman, Founding Chair of the British Beauty Council, awarded OBE

Jane Boardman, Founding Chair of the British Beauty Council, has been awarded an OBE for voluntary services to beauty and fashion, in the King's New Year Honours list.

Boardman, who is also an adviser to the British Fashion Council, was instrumental in the formation of the British Beauty Council in 2018. Knowing that the beauty industry is often misrepresented, she sought to form the Council alongside Millie Kendall OBE, Anna-Marie Solowij and Kate Shapland.

She led the Council through its formative years, when the industry faced unique challenges as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic. In a statement, the BBC said Boardman provided "vital strategic support" across the Council’s campaigns from 2018 to 2022, including ‘Bring Back Beauty’, which was key to ensuring that beauty lovers and professionals alike could return to shops, salons, and barbers safely.

Upon receiving the accolade from The King, she said: "Beauty is a wonderful industry. It is a hugely important part of the British economy and a major employer. It has breadth and depth of career opportunities spanning both science and creativity, allows us all to express ourselves, and solves many personal skin and hair problems. I have been fortunate to have worked with many incredible and influential colleagues, notably Millie who is an extraordinary force.

"I am immensely honoured to have been awarded an OBE for my services to fashion and beauty. I feel privileged to have played a small role in elevating the work of the leaders of these incredible industries, particularly [British Fashion Council CEO] Caroline Rush, [Evening Standard Editor in Chief] Dylan Jones and Millie Kendall… I will continue to champion the industries I love, supporting businesses that make a difference and break new boundaries in their field."

Boardman, who is CEO of M&C Saatchi Talk (formerly Talk Global), has been a leading light in the worlds of fashion, beauty and communications for more than two decades and has taken on multiple pro-bono roles. On top of acting as the British Beauty Council’s Founding Chair and strategic advisor to the British Fashion Council, she was appointed to the board of Dance Umbrella for a decade and currently acts as an adviser to the Fragrance Foundation UK.

‘Jane has been notably influential in raising the reputation of the beauty industry in the UK, and is incredibly deserving of recognition in 2024’s Honours List,’ said the British Beauty Council's CEO Millie Kendall OBE.

"Jane saw the Council through its inception and some of the industry’s most adverse years to date and was an invaluable support to me throughout her tenure as Chair. I am absolutely thrilled for Jane, and delighted that she has been honoured in such a way. There is no doubt that Jane’s leadership can, and will still, be felt for years to come," Kendall added.

Main image: Millie Kendall OBE and Jane Boardman OBE, Rick Pushinsky / Getty Images