University News Last updated 08 March 2012
One of Britain’s top female entrepreneurs will receive an honorary doctoral degree from Birmingham City University next week in recognition of her outstanding business achievements and long standing personal connection with the University.
Deborah Leary OBE is founder and Chief Executive of Forensic Pathways (FPL); an award-winning company specialising in developing unique data analysis solutions in the area of due diligence/risk, business and criminal intelligence, and to developing innovative products for criminal investigation.
Voted one of Britain’s Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs by Real Business magazine, Deborah now also runs her own consultancy practice, supporting new and growing businesses to develop business strategy.
Her achievements in business and entrepreneurship, have led Deborah to become involved in a number of other organisations. She is National President of the British Association of Women Entrepreneurs, Chair of the Midlands World Trade Forum, Director of the European Network of Women in Leadership, Co-Founder and Board Member of the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network and Deputy Director of the United Nations UK Global Compact Network, which supports multi-nationals and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility. She is also a Development Council member of the Young Vic Theatre Company, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Marie Curie Fellow.
Deborah is an alumna of the School of English and regularly lectures to English and Business students. In 2011, the University created the Deborah Leary Award for English in the Wider World. Deborah joined the University in the 1990s as a mature part-time student. As a student of a traditional humanities discipline who has enjoyed outstanding success in the world of business, she is an inspiration to everyone who wants to study something they love. She talks with passion about how her English degree helped her to think, analyse and communicate. Having been inspired by her time here to set up in business, she’s now giving future generations the confidence and imagination to think about how they can make their way in the world.
In recognition of her commitment to entrepreneurship, Deborah was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2008. Other awards have included the Joyce Award 2009, for commitment to the British Association of Women Entrepreneurs, World Association of Women Entrepreneurs (FCEM) International Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2007/08, European Woman of Achievement 2006 and British Female Inventor of the Year 2005.