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University of Reading to award Honorary Degrees to two giants of the worlds of business and construction – University of Reading

The University of Reading will be awarding Honorary Degrees to two giants of the world of construction and business this week, as John Armitt CBE, Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority and Peter Erskine, former Chairman of O2, visit the University to receive their degrees.

John Armitt CBE will be awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science.

Mr Armitt has held very senior positions in the construction industry during his career to date, including Chief Executive of Costain plc and Chairman of John Laing Civil Engineering and John Laing International, delivering some of the world's biggest construction projects. He has also served as Chief Executive of Network Rail and is now Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, the body responsible for developing the infrastructure for the 2012 Olympic Games.

In an academic capacity, he has been very supportive of the School of Construction Management and Engineering at the University of Reading, and as Chairman of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, he is responsible for ensuring the strategic direction of Britain's research agenda. He will be presented for the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science by Professor Roger Flanagan of the School of Construction Management and Engineering.

Peter Erskine will be awarded the Honourary Degree of Doctor of Laws. He is a distinguished businessman and former Chairman and Chief Executive of O2, who was named CSC Business Leader of the Year in 2005. In his career, he has been headhunted by fledgling Unitel (now T-Mobile), worked for Mars and Colgate Palmolive and he now has an advisory role with the private equity company, Apax partners, as well as remaining a member of the Telefonica main board, which took over O2 in 2005 .

Peter Erskine has for some years also been an active and enthusiastic supporter of the University of Reading. He has served on the Advisory Board of the University of Reading Business School, supported and judged the undergraduate students' projects in marketing, and been unstinting of his time and advice to both School and University. Mr Erskine will be presented for the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws by Professor John Hendry, Head of the University of Reading Business School.

Professor Gordon Marshall, University of Reading Vice Chancellor, said: "Both John Armitt and Peter Erskine are high profile leaders in their fields. John has played a key role in developing the infrastructure of this country through his role as Chief Executive of Network Rail and now has the unenviable task of ensuring that the infrastructure for the biggest event in recent British history, the 2012 Olympics, is delivered on time.

"Peter Erskine is well known to many people at the University of Reading. We have been fortunate to see at first hand some of the qualities for which he is renowned as he has given a great deal of his valuable time to engaging our students in business and offering advice to the University and Business School. He led O2 through its launch to make it a leader in the mobile phone services market and later steered it through the largest takeover in European history, when Telefonica acquired it. We are delighted to be able to honour such eminent business leaders with University of Reading Honorary Degrees."

John Armitt CBE will receive his degree on Friday 27 June as part of the 12 noon Congregation in the Great Hall at the University of Reading's London Road campus from the University's Vice Chancellor, Professor Gordon Marshall.

Peter Erskine will receive his degree on Saturday 28 June as part of the 12 noon Congregation in the Great Hall at the University of Reading's London Road campus from the University's Chancellor, Dr John Madejski.

ENDS

Further information from Alex Brannen, Senior Press Officer, on 0118 378 7388.

Notes to editors:

Peter Erskine biog – from speech by Professor John Hendry of Reading Business School –

From humble North-East London beginnings, Peter Erskine's drive, enthusiasm and immense ability took him first, via a psychology degree at Liverpool, into a career in marketing. Following positions at Polycell and Colgate Palmolive and a substantial and successful stint at what is widely regarded as the world's most sophisticated marketing company, Mars, he was headhunted in 1990 to be head of sales and marketing at a start-up mobile telephone company by the name of Unitel – known nowadays as T-mobile. Three years later he moved to British Telecom and by 1998 he was Managing Director of BT's own mobile telephone arm, Cellnet. By 2001, following the de-merger and re-branding of the Cellnet business, he was Chief Executive Officer of what was then mmO2. Under Peter's direction, O2 grew rapidly to become the largest and most successful mobile telephone operator in Britain, as well as in Ireland, Germany and the Czech Republic. In 2005 it was acquired by the Spanish firm Telefonica, in what was, at £18 billion, the largest cash takeover ever seen in Europe. Peter stayed on, continuing to lead O2 through a string of new successes and carefully seeing through the integration process. He stepped down at the end of last year in order to seek new challenges and has recently taken on an advisory role with the private equity company, Apax partners, but remains a member of the Telefonica main board.

O2 has its headquarters in nearby Slough and Peter Erskine has lived locally during his career.

John Armitt biog - from speech by Professor Roger Flanagan of the School of Construction Management and Engineering.

He is a giant in the world of business and commerce with the Chairmanship of the Olympic Delivery Authority responsible for delivering the Olympic venue in East London for the 2012 Olympic Games. He was previously Chief Executive of Costain plc, one of Britain's best known construction firms, and Chairman of John Laing Civil Engineering and John Laing International, delivering some of the world's biggest construction projects, including the second Severn Crossing in the UK.

He is a giant in the academic world with his Chairmanship of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. EPSRC is one of the main funding bodies for research into science and engineering in British Universities. His family has strong academic commitments with a sister who is pro-Vice Chancellor at Birmingham University and a brother-in-law who is Vice Chancellor of the University of Westminster.

He is a giant in public life having been Chief Executive of Railtrack, the company responsible for maintaining the track for Britain's railways, and as Chief Executive of Union Railways responsible for delivering the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, where he frequently dealt with government Ministers and with politicians. And, of course he is a giant physically.