Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list for services to the automotive industry.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes

Hawes, who joined the SMMT in 2013, was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his work to ensure the country is one of the best places in the world for the automotive industry to do business.

Hawes is credited with having led the industry through a period of technological, structural and geopolitical change over the last 10-plus years – safeguarding jobs and businesses, promoting the environmental benefits of new vehicle technology and helping to secure millions of pounds of inward investment.

This includes the Brexit trade negotiations, Covid and the subsequent global supply chain shortages, the energy crisis and the technological transformation to net zero.

Hawes was also an influential advocate in the creation and work of Mission Automotive, which places ex-service personnel in jobs across the sector, signed SMMT to the Armed Forces Covenant and saw the organisation receive a Gold Award under the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme – the first trade association to be recognised in this way.

He also plays a pivotal role in the Automotive Council – formed in 2009 to foster collaboration between government and the automotive industry.

Hawes said: “Receiving such an award for services to the industry I love and have spent so much of my life championing is a huge honour. It is one I share with a dedicated and talented team at SMMT and a UK industry which wants to be the best. The past few years have been anything but smooth, but the UK sector has proven itself resilient, adaptable and, as ever, incredibly innovative. This recognition reinforces the importance of the industry and SMMT itself, and I would like to thank everyone with whom I have worked for their unfailing commitment and support.”