Heather Stevens, chair of the Waterloo Foundation and a founding member of Admiral, Wales' largest company, has been appointed a Dame in the King's Birthday Honours List.
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Ms Stevens receives a Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to the environment, young people and philanthropy in Wales. Alongside her husband David Stevens, a co-founder and former chief executive of Admiral, they established the Waterloo Foundation in 2007 with a personal contribution of £99 million into an endowment fund. Since then, the Cardiff-based charity has awarded approximately 4,300 grants worth over £170 million from their personal wealth, with a target of reaching £200 million in the coming years. The foundation supports projects in child development, health and the environment, with a significant share of grants allocated to projects and good causes in Wales.
Dame Heather, 68, was part of the founding team of Admiral when it launched in Cardiff in 1993, selling car insurance over the phone. She played a key role in marketing the nascent business, which today is Wales' only FTSE 100 company with a market capitalisation exceeding £10.54 billion. Headquartered in Cardiff, Admiral also operates car insurance businesses in Italy, Spain and France, employing 13,000 people globally, with over 7,000 based in South Wales. She received a CBE in 2010 and served as High Sheriff of South Glamorgan in 2015. She resides with her husband in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Roger Lewis Receives MBE
Former chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union, Roger Lewis, has been awarded an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours for his support to service personnel and veterans. Born in Cefn Cribwr, Mr Lewis is the founding chair of the Churchill Lines Foundation, a military charity established in 2014 to support members of the armed forces community. The MBE recognises his sustained commitment to improving the lives of those who serve and have served in the armed forces, and his leadership in building a charity dedicated to their welfare. In March, the King became a patron of the Churchill Lines Foundation, marking a significant milestone in the charity's development.
Commenting on his award, Mr Lewis said: "It is a great honour to support the extraordinary men and women who serve our country. They protect and defend our freedom. I dedicate this award to them and share it with my fellow trustees and friends of the Churchill Lines Foundation." During a 30-year career in London, he held numerous senior roles including head of music at BBC Radio 1, managing director of EMI Records classical division, president of Decca Records, and managing director and programme controller of Classic FM. He returned to Wales in 2004 as managing director of ITV Wales, served as group chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union and the Millennium Stadium from 2006 to 2015, and is a former chairman of Cardiff Airport and the Cardiff Capital Region. Mr Lewis lives in Penarth.
Steve Hughson Awarded MBE
Mid Wales-based farming, tourism and events leader Steve Hughson has received an MBE. Mr Hughson, 63, from Newbridge-on-Wye, is recognised for services to agriculture, tourism and events in Wales. His distinguished career has spanned policing, rural affairs, major events, tourism, youth development and volunteering across Wales.
He said: "I am very proud and humbled to receive this huge honour which is a tribute not only to me but also to all the people I have worked with over the years in agriculture, tourism and events. When I was chief executive of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS), I always checked the honours list to see if anybody from the field of agriculture in Wales had been recognised, so that we could celebrate their achievement. To now be honoured myself and by the King is the icing on the cake. Through my previous roles with the police and Royal Welsh Show, I have had close contact with the Royal family, for whom I have the utmost admiration. I am very grateful to the person who nominated me for this honour, as I know from personal experience the huge amount of work involved in the nomination process. All my roles have been quite demanding and my family – my wife Andrea and two children - have stood by me throughout. This honour is a testament to their support."
Born in Builth Wells and raised on the family beef and sheep farm, Mr Hughson attended the town's grammar school before joining the Metropolitan Police in London in 1983. He returned home to Wales in 1992, transferring to Dyfed Powys Police and, after 30 years' police service, retired as chief superintendent and head of territorial policing. The RWAS recruited Mr Hughson as chief executive, a role in which he helped to revitalise, modernise and enhance the society's financial stability and engage with Welsh Government and key external partners. Recognising the strong link between events and tourism, he has chaired Mid Wales Tourism Forum for 10 years and sits on the Welsh Government Visitor Economy Forum, which he represents on the Regional Skills Partnership Board. During the pandemic, he became a voice for tourism and events during weekly meetings with Welsh Government and was appointed chair of the newly created Event Wales Industry Advisory Group, working closely with the government's major events team. Mr Hughson also served for two, four-year terms on the Welsh Government's Agricultural Advisory Panel and his keen interest in the development of young people led to his election as chair of Wales Young Farmers Clubs board of trustees in 2024. He has volunteered as Nantmel Show outdoor secretary for more than 15 years, is an active supporter of Brecon Mountain Rescue Team and member of both Builth and District Running Club and the Old Stagers drama production group, comprising ex-YFC members.
Other Welsh Recipients
- Glynne David Jones CBE, former director in Wales Office, receives a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) for public service.
- Former director of Merthyr-based think-tank the Bevan Foundation, Victoria Winkler, receives a CBE for public service.
- Martin Dafydd Brown, director of retirement services, Department for Work and Pensions, receives a CBE for public service.
- An OBE for Claire Jane Bennett, director, climate change and environmental sustainability, Welsh Government, for services to vulnerable people, children and to community cohesion.
- An OBE for Geraint Wyn Jowers, deputy director, security consultancy services, HM Revenue and Customs, for public service.
- An OBE for Professor David Austin for services to the heritage of Wales, economic regeneration and young people.
- An OBE for Hywel Thomas Baker, managing director, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Mission Systems UK, for services to defence industry investment, regional economic development, veterans support, and to national security.
- An OBE for Andrew Charles Bowden for services to housing and to the community in Wales.
