Michael Cooper has been awarded an OBE for public service in the 2025 New Year’s honours list.  Michael attended Quainton Hall School between 1969 and 1977 and the John Lyon School between 1977 and 1982, before reading history at Christ Church, Oxford. He qualified as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse (now PwC) before joining the Civil Service in 1993. During his career he helped to create three new Government agencies and manage Defra’s £3 billion p.a. grants budget. He co-ordinated the administration of the Common Agricultural Policy across the UK, a role that took him frequently to Brussels and to 26 of the 28 EU Member States. He has also served as President of the Thames Valley Society of Chartered Accountants and as Vice President Finance of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT. He is now involved in an initiative to promote the Reading Tech Cluster. Outside work Michael has served as a churchwarden and as a trustee of several charities. He is a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Parish Clerks in the City of London and is currently Senior Assistant of the Worshipful Company of Plumbers.  Michael, who is married to Felicity (whose two brothers attended Quainton Hall School), said, “I’ve been very fortunate during my career to meet so many interesting people, work with talented colleagues, and support such a wide range of worthwhile projects. It is a wonderful privilege to be recognised with this honour.”