British Business Bank (BBB) CEO, Louis Taylor, has been recognised in the King’s New Year Honours List 2025, alongside BBB interim CEO, Catherine Lewis La Torre, British Patient Capital interim CEO, Judith Hartley, and other industry figures.

Taylor was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to business and trade and is one of three members of BBB recognised in the 2025 list.

Prior to his role as CEO of the British Business Bank, Taylor was UK Export Finance (UKEF) chief executive and has also held roles as Department for International Trade director general and was a member of its executive committee and management board.

Alongside this, he is a trustee of the charity Sightsavers and a former chair of trustees for charity Music in Prisons.

In addition to this, Lewis La Torre has been awarded a CBE for services to business.

Lewis La Torre was selected to be the first CEO of British Patient Capital following its launch in 2018 after a 25-year career in the private equity industry and is the former CEO of the Bank’s commercial subsidiaries, British Patient Capital and British Business Investments.

Hartley was also recognised in the 2025 list and has been awarded a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for services to business.

Commenting on his award, Taylor said: “I am delighted to have received this Honour from His Majesty. Importantly, it highlights the genuinely outstanding and productive work done by so many colleagues over the years at both UK Export Finance and the BBB in the service of UK business and trade, and I thank them for that.”

Lewis La Torre stated: “It’s truly wonderful to be recognised for the impact achieved for businesses across the UK arising from the different roles I held at the BBB.”

Meanwhile, Hartley said: “I am really thrilled to receive this honour in recognition of services to business. Supporting the UK’s smaller businesses has been a constant throughout my career, and I could not have achieved any of this without the brilliant colleagues and leadership teams I have worked with at British Business Investments, British Patient Capital, and the BBB.”

In addition to this, HSBC group chief executive, Noel Paul Quinn, was awarded a Knight Bachelor for his service to the financial sector, meaning he has been knighted but not included as a member of one of the organised orders.

London Stock Exchange Group chair, Donald Austin Robert, was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to financial services.

Seven individuals from the Department for Work and Pensions were recognised in the 2025 list, including Sarah Winifred Albon for services to public administration, Catherine Elinor Vaughan, Lynne Moore, Jane Alison Wilson, and Simon Mark Cousen for services to public service, Mark Geroge Alexander for services to promoting socio-economic diversity and Andrew David Clarke for services to cancer charities.

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