MRS President Clifton Gets CBE

MRS President Rita Clifton has been made a CBE in the UK's New Year's Honours List for 'services to the advertising industry'.

Formerly Chairman of ad agency Interbrand, Clifton now runs her own consultancy, BrandCap. She took over the MRS role from Jeremy Bullmore in 2009 and is also Chairman of London-based research agency Populus.

She graduated from Cambridge University and spent time at DMB&B and J. Walter Thompson before joining Saatchi & Saatchi in 1986 and rising by 1992 to the role of Director of Strategic Planning there. She moved to Interbrand in 1997 as CEO in London and became Chairman in 2002. Clifton's writing includes the APG's 'International Account Planning', 'The Future of Brands' and most recently, The Economist book 'Brands & Branding'. She has been a member of the Government's Sustainable Development Commission, is a trustee of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), and is on the Business Advisory Board for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

Clifton, who completes her term as MRS President in April, told her local paper the Maidenhead Advertiser she was 'thrilled', adding 'it is very good for the people... and organisations I work with as well - it is as much recognition for what they have achieved'. Other prominent women honoured this week with the CBE include Karren Brady, Vice Chair of West Ham Football Club and Apprentice judge; and more controversially, NHS whistleblower and Stafford Hospital standards campaigner Julie Bailey.

Clifton's portfolio of chairing and non-executive directorships includes BUPA and Nationwide, and she was a non-executive director of Dixons Retail plc for three terms, and on the board of Emap plc on its successful divestment in 2007.

The CBE - officially Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire - is the middle-ranked of five classes of honours in the Order established by George V, above OBE and MBE but unlike the top two not entitling its holder to style herself as Dame Rita. See www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commander_of_the_British_Empire for full details.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.