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OBE awarded to Durham alumnus - Michael Shearer

(11 January 2012)

We are extremely proud to announce that Durham MBA alumnus Michael Shearer has been appointed OBE in the 2012 Diplomatic and Overseas Honours List.

Michael, who is currently Deputy High Commissioner, Freetown, Sierra Leone, received the award for his role in leading the on-the-ground evacuation of British Nationals and dependents from the Sendai area of Japan, following the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake last March (2011).

The OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) was founded by King George V in 1917 and is used nowadays to honour valuable services to the State.

Last April (2011) Michael featured in the Independent newspaper speaking about how, in his opinion, his MBA (Durham 1996) consistantly proves valuable in his diplomatic career. 

In his words: "We were just outside the exclusion zone; there was risk of nuclear exposure. I had to keep our team going. We managed to find 80 Britons and get them away on six coaches. We faced logistical challenges: aftershocks, severe snow and flooding, and an upgrade in the nuclear risk. The team did an outstanding job. I fell back on my skills then: crisis management, negotiating, strategic thinking. The tools and techniques you learn on an MBA are extremely useful."

You can read the full article on the Independent's website.